Art of Racing on display with red hot action at Pontefract’s latest meeting

With high temperatures increased welfare measures were very evident with abundant water supplies, cooling mist fans and additional personnel to assist with cooling horses immediately after each race, writes Alexia Chesters.

The opener, the 1m2f 23rd Wilfred Underwood Memorial Handicap for amateur jockeys, went the way of Unplugged and Serena Brotherton.

The Michael and David Easterby-trained nine-year-old was recording the fourth win of his career and his third at Ponte.

Try Storm Cat had been knocking on the door in his two previous runs to date, with a third and a second to his credit, and he gained his breakthrough success in the six furlong EBF Novice Stakes.

Charlie Johnston’s representative made all the running under Rossa Ryan to score decisively.

There was £40,000 up for grabs in the Darley Fillies’ Novice Stakes and Wujjood stepped up markedly on her slightly disappointing debut effort at Salisbury a fortnight previously to justify favouritism in the one mile contest.

Clearly a well-regarded filly, it would be no surprise to see her progress from here.

Mount King had looked a shade unlucky when not finding a clear passage earlier in the month, but made amends with a taking success in the one mile Every Raceday is Autism Friendly at Pontefract Handicap under David Allan.

It was a second success at the track this season for the Tim Easterby representative and he can unlock the £3,000 Chairman’s Challenge bonus should he record a third success.

Match Play had finished narrowly behind King’s Crown when the pair met at Thirsk earlier in June, but the Paul Midgley-trained five-year-old got his revenge, reversing the form to take the five furlong Pontefract Ladies’ Day Wednesday 6th August Handicap with David Nolan in the saddle.

Kaiya Fraser secured a daring run up the inside to land the six furlong Racing TV handicap on board One Of Our Own for Rebecca Menzies.

The finale was the Wayne Conway Memorial Handicap over a mile and Fire Eyes sent favourite backers home happy, coming clear of her rivals inside the final furlong to land the spoils for Sean Kirrane and Lawrence Mullaney.

The next meeting at Pontefract takes place on Tuesday, July 8 with the Listed Weatherbys Hamilton Pipalong Stakes taking centre stage.