Race Overview: A Midsummer Test for the North's Best Fillies
There's something fitting about a Listed race named after a Yorkshire fortress being run on a summer Sunday in Scotland. The Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes at Perth has carved out a deserved reputation as one of the more informative mile-and-a-half tests for older fillies and mares in the north of England and Scotland calendar. At £60,000 in prize money and carrying GBBPLUS status, it draws genuine Classic and Group-race pedigree — and the 2026 renewal is no different.
With Ryka declared a non-runner, we go to post with nine runners, and the market is likely to be dominated by a handful of well-credentialled four-year-olds stepping up from handicap or conditions company. The going is Good, Good to Firm in places, with the home straight carrying the faster ground — that's worth keeping in mind when we look at draw and pace.
Check out the full Perth racecard for times and full declarations.
Contender Analysis: Who Holds the Key Claims?
Coedana (Draw 7 | Rating 103 | Connor Beasley)
Start here. Coedana is the highest-rated runner in the field at OR 103, trained by Edward Bethell and ridden by Connor Beasley. She's a distance winner already, which matters enormously over a mile and four furlongs at a track like Perth where you need to genuinely stay. Bethell has been on a terrific run with his older fillies this season, and he's not sending this one north for the scenery. At 9-2 in the weights, she's receiving nothing from most rivals but her rating advantage is real. On form, she's the one to beat — full stop.
Revoir (Draw 4 | Rating 101 | Rossa Ryan)
Revoir carries a rating of 101 for Ralph Beckett, who rarely pitches a filly into Listed company without believing she's ready. Rossa Ryan takes the ride — a booking that speaks for itself. She doesn't yet have a confirmed distance win on her form card, which is a slight query over 1m4f, but Beckett's fillies tend to be well-suited by a thorough test of stamina, and the family often improves with age and distance. If Coedana has any chink in her armour, Revoir is the one most likely to find it. I'd want to see her travel well into the home straight before getting too excited.
Lemsairbat (Draw 8 | Rating 98 | Oisin Orr)
Joseph Patrick O'Brien sends over Lemsairbat, a five-year-old mare rated 98. The Irish raider angle always commands respect at this level — O'Brien doesn't ship runners across the water without a solid reason. Oisin Orr is an excellent judge of pace and will likely sit handy from draw 8. The absence of a distance winner flag is worth noting, but mares trained in Ireland often have a different profile of form. She's an each-way player if the market gives you a price.
Little Dorrit (Draw 5 | Rating 96 | Ray Dawson)
Roger Varian's Little Dorrit is one of three runners in the field rated 96, but I'd argue she's the most interesting of that trio. Varian operates at a high strike rate with his fillies in pattern and Listed company, and draw 5 is comfortable enough at Perth — right in the middle of the track where you can ride a race rather than fight for position. She doesn't have a distance win flagged, but Varian's horses often find their best form over further as the season progresses. One to watch in the market.
Orionis (Draw 3 | Rating 96 | Tom Marquand)
Orionis for William Haggas is another I can't dismiss. She's a distance winner, which gives her a proven profile for today's test, and Tom Marquand is a very good judge of how to ride a mile-and-a-half. Draw 3 is excellent — she can slot in on the rail and conserve energy through the first half of the race. Haggas and Marquand have a strong partnership and when they travel north for a race like this, they mean business. She's arguably a touch underestimated at OR 96 given her stamina credentials.
Ghaiyya (Draw 10 | Rating 92 | Jason Hart)
Charlie Johnston's Ghaiyya is a distance winner but carries the second-lowest rating in the field at 92. Jason Hart is a fine northern jockey and knows Perth well, but she'll need to improve significantly to trouble the principals. Draw 10 is the widest in the field and on ground that's Good to Firm in the home straight, covering extra ground from the outside isn't ideal. She's an outsider for a reason, though Hart's local knowledge shouldn't be entirely discounted.
Going and Draw: Does Perth Favour Any Particular Profile?
Perth is a right-handed, galloping track that suits a genuine stayer. The home straight is where the race is won and lost — and with the faster ground concentrated there, you want a horse that travels smoothly and picks up cleanly rather than one that needs soft underfoot to show their best.
The draw is relatively neutral over this distance at Perth, but the middle-to-low draws (1-5) have a marginal historical edge simply because you don't waste energy from a wide berth. Orionis (3) and Revoir (4) are well drawn. Lemsairbat (8) and Ghaiyya (10) will need to work a little harder to find their position.
Good to Firm in the home straight is a key detail. Horses that have won on quick ground previously will be at an advantage — worth cross-referencing before you commit.
Value Picks and Dangers
The value angle in this race points towards Orionis. She's a distance winner, well drawn, trained by one of the best in the business, and rated 96 — seven pounds below the market leader. If Haggas has freshened her up for this specific target, she could outrun her odds comfortably.
Brielle is worth a mention as an each-way outsider. Trained by David O'Meara alongside the now-absent Ryka, she's a distance winner wearing a tongue tie (headgear: T), which often indicates a trainer trying to get the best out of a horse in a specific scenario. Paul Mulrennan knows O'Meara's horses inside out. At a big enough price, she could pop up for a place.
The danger to my selection is straightforward: Revoir. If Beckett has her spot-on and she gets a soft lead to aim at, she's capable of landing this. Don't leave her out of your multiples.
My Selection: Coedana to Justify Market Support
Coedana is my selection. The highest rating in the field, a proven distance winner, a trainer in Edward Bethell who is operating at the top of his game, and Connor Beasley in the saddle — a jockey who rides Perth regularly and understands exactly what the track demands. She's drawn 7, which is workable, and the Good to Firm ground in the home straight shouldn't inconvenience her.
At Listed level, the margin between the top-rated and the rest matters. A seven-pound advantage over Orionis, Little Dorrit and Merveilleux Lapin is meaningful. She doesn't need to improve — she just needs to run her race.
Selection: Coedana (E/W)
Each-way saver: Orionis
Who is the Favourite for the Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes 2026?
Coedana is expected to head the market as the top-rated runner in the field at OR 103, trained by Edward Bethell and ridden by Connor Beasley. She's a proven distance winner and holds clear form credentials over the rest of the nine declared runners.
Is the Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes Run at Pontefract?
Despite the name, the Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes is run at Perth racecourse in Scotland — not at Pontefract in Yorkshire. The race takes its name from the historic castle rather than the racecourse, which is a common source of confusion for punters seeing it listed for the first time.
What Distance is the Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes?
The race is run over 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 5 yards at Perth. It's a thorough stamina test for fillies and mares aged four and older, which is why proven distance winners hold such a strong record in the race. Form over shorter trips should be treated with caution unless there's a clear breeding case for the step up in trip.
