As the flat season continues to wind down, Pontefract stage their second September meeting on Thursday 22nd.
The highlight of the card is the Simon Scrope Dalby Screw-Driver Handicap – a Class 2 Handicap over 1m2f worth £20,000 to the winner. ‘Screw-Driver’ was the racing pin up in the early 19th century, winning at least 2 ‘Cup’ races. These ‘Cups’ consisted of four heats over 2 miles on the same day with the winner being the horse with the best aggregate score over the 8 miles! This impressive feat makes Screw-Driver just about the first Pontefract course specialist on record! In 2015, the famous ‘Golden Horn’ colours of Anthony Oppenheimer were carried to victory by ‘This Is The Day’ from Charlie Fellowes Newmarket base who held off the local challenge of Tim Easterby’s Silvery Moon in a thrilling finish.
All races from Pontefract are shown live on Racing UK, and the channel lends their name to 4 races on the card. The chief supporting race, the The Racing UK HD on Sky 432 Handicap, sees the 6f sprinters burning up the track. Course specialist, Johnny Cavagin, won the race last year. He’s already added to his course tally in 2016 – will he be back on the scoresheet again?
The EBF Frier Wood Maiden is often a decent pointer to a stamina laden 2yo and Karl Burke’s ‘Percy Street’ took the honours last year. He was initially trained with the Epsom Derby in mind this season and while he’s not proved up to that class, he’s won a decent handicap at Newmarket and then run creditably at Listed level.
The fillies’ nursery at the start of the card is often a competitive and informative affair and Sir Mark Prescott’s Rioca took the prize last year. It’s definitely a race to keep an eye on with the future in mind as the 2015 renewal has thrown up numerous winners this season.
The Racecourse has been running the Yorkshire Postcode Lottery throughout the season once again. The scheme gives racegoers from Yorkshire the chance to come racing in the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure for just £2. The remaining 3 meetings of the season are all part of the promotion, and punters with postcodes from Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford will all be eligible for cheap entry at forthcoming meetings with Halifax postcodes the lucky ones on the 22nd September. The action gets underway at 2.20pm with gates opening at midday.