A Saturday Worth Getting Off the Sofa For

My dad had a saying about Pontefract: "It's not pretty, but it's honest." He meant it as a compliment, and so do I. The old track in West Yorkshire has a character all of its own — that long, sweeping climb to the finish line sorts out the pretenders from the genuine articles every single time. On a warm August Saturday with the Great St Wilfrid on the card, there are few better places to spend an afternoon with a racecard in one hand and something cold in the other.

The going is reported as Good, Good to Firm in places, which is just about ideal for a summer's day at Ponte. The ground has a bit of pace in it without being the kind of rattling fast surface that makes trainers wince. Horses that move well on top of the ground will be at a premium today, and those with course and distance form are well worth seeking out — as you'll see, there are plenty of them in the feature race alone.

We've got seven races on the Pontefract racecard this afternoon, kicking off at 13:45 and running through until 17:05. There's something for everyone — from wide-eyed two-year-olds finding their feet in the novice stakes, right through to a couple of old warhorses in the closing handicap who've probably forgotten more about racing than most of us will ever know. Let's get into it.

The Feature Race: Great St Wilfrid Handicap (15:25, 6f, £100k)

This is the one. The William Hill/MND Association Great St Wilfrid Handicap is a race with proper heritage, and a £100,000 prize fund gives it the weight it deserves. Fifteen runners over six furlongs, and on this going, it should be an absolute cracker. The MND Association sponsorship is a lovely touch, too — a cause close to many hearts in the racing community.

The top weight is Aramram, rated 109 and trained by Richard Hannon with Joe Leavy in the saddle. A course and distance winner, Aramram is the class act in the field and will carry plenty of punter money. At a rating of 109, the handicapper hasn't been generous, but Hannon horses tend to travel well on ground like this and Leavy is a rider who knows how to get the best out of a front-rank performer. If he's anywhere near his best, he's the one they all have to beat.

Chasing him down will be Royal Zabeel (rated 104), trained by Michael Appleby and ridden by Jason Watson. Watson is a man who knows his way around a big-field sprint handicap, and Royal Zabeel also has course and distance form to his name. Dropping 5lb below the top weight is a meaningful advantage in a race like this, and Appleby's horses have a habit of running their race regardless of conditions.

The one I'd be keeping a very close eye on is Dark Cloud Rising (rated 94), trained by David O'Meara and ridden by Daniel Tudhope. Both course and distance form ticks are there, and Tudhope is simply one of the most reliable jockeys in the north when the ground has a bit of zip in it. He has an almost uncanny ability to find a position and then produce his horse at exactly the right moment. On Good to Firm ground over six furlongs at Pontefract, I'd want him riding for me every time.

Don't entirely dismiss Flight Control (rated 85) either — a three-year-old trained by Kevin and Lauren Frost, carrying a 3lb allowance through William Pyle. The younger generation can sometimes run right through a field like this when the conditions suit, and the weight-for-age allowance is a genuine advantage.

The Two-Year-Old Races: Fresh Faces and Future Stars

The card opens with a pair of juvenile contests that are always worth a look, even if the form book is thin on the ground. In the 13:45 Juddmonte EBF Restricted Novice Stakes over a mile, Coral Cove (rated 78, Jason Hart, James Owen) stands out as the only runner with a meaningful official rating in a field of thirteen. A rating of 78 among a bunch of unraced or lightly-raced juveniles is a significant edge, and Hart is a jockey who rarely wastes a trip to Pontefract.

Kaiya Fraser rides Scarlet Dynasty for Gemma Tutty, and it's always worth keeping an eye on Fraser when she gets a decent book of rides — she's a jockey on the way up and rides with a confidence that belies her experience.

The 14:20 Racing for Tamara Ripon Hornblower EBF Novice Stakes over six furlongs is a smaller field of five, but Rogue Jewel, trained by Edward Bethell and ridden by Daniel Tudhope, carries the [D] distance form marker and has Tudhope's booking to recommend it. Bethell is a trainer whose two-year-olds tend to be ready when they run, and Tudhope won't be wasting his time here.

The Supporting Handicaps: Plenty to Dig Into

The 14:55 William Hill Supporting MND Silver Cup Handicap over six furlongs is a proper cavalry charge — twenty runners, a wide spread of ratings from 67 to 80, and a field full of seasoned campaigners who know their job. Westmorian (rated 80, Oliver Stammers, Grant Tuer) tops the weights and has distance form, while Anaisa and Go Vince Go — both trained by Tim Easterby and both carrying course and distance form — are interesting runners for the powerful local yard. David Allan rides Go Vince Go, and he's a man who knows Tim Easterby's horses inside out.

The 15:55 William Hill World Free From MND Handicap over a mile looks like a race for the three-year-olds. Jungle Ruler (rated 85, Harry Davies, Michael Appleby) and Swiped (rated 84, Rhys Clutterbuck, Ralph Beckett) head the market on ratings, and the younger horses get a weight allowance that could prove decisive. Swiped has course form and Beckett is a trainer whose horses tend to improve as the season goes on.

The 16:30 Ashley Smith Memorial Fillies' Handicap over a mile and four furlongs is a small but select field of five three-year-old fillies. Musical Accord (rated 70, Rhys Clutterbuck, Ralph Beckett) is the top-rated runner and Beckett's fillies are usually well-schooled stayers. With the ground on the faster side, Talitha Rouge (Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara) might just have the pace to make this interesting.

The card closes with the 17:05 Harrogate Comedy Festival Handicap — a Class 6 affair over just under a mile and two furlongs. Feliz Navidad (rated 60, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara) catches the eye at the top of the weights for the three-year-olds, and Tudhope's fourth ride of the day suggests he's had a decent look at the card and liked what he saw.

Best Bets and Ones to Watch

To pull it all together, here are my picks for the afternoon at Pontefract:

  • Best Bet: Aramram (15:25) — Top-rated, course and distance form, Richard Hannon in fine fettle. He's got to give weight to everything but the class is there.
  • Each-Way Pick: Dark Cloud Rising (15:25) — Daniel Tudhope, course and distance form, and a rating of 94 that leaves room to run into a place at the very least. On Good to Firm ground, Tudhope can be the difference.
  • One to Watch: Rogue Jewel (14:20) — Tudhope and Bethell in a small field of juveniles. Keep an eye on the market — if this one is fancied, it could be the banker of the day.
  • Value Shout: Royal Zabeel (15:25) — Jason Watson knows his way around a sprint handicap, and 5lb below the top weight in a race like the Great St Wilfrid is not to be sniffed at.
  • Sentimental Pick: Mark's Choice (14:55) — A ten-year-old still turning up and doing his best. Gemma Tutty keeps him happy, and you've got to admire the old boy for still being here.

Whatever you're backing today, enjoy the racing. Pontefract on a sunny August Saturday is one of those afternoons that reminds you why you fell in love with this sport in the first place. Good luck, and I'll see you on the other side.