Lord Warburton is shock 125-1 winner on Pontefract Racecourse's racing for everyone evening
Pontefract Racecourse’s second evening fixture of the 2024 season took place with their award winning ‘Racing for Everyone’ theme.
The event gave the course a chance to showcase the extensive improvements to the accessibility features on the track, with Ponte hosting a special race meeting to encourage those who had never been to the venue before to give it a go, writes Richard Hammill.
Two BSL interpreters signed the race commentary to assist racegoers from the deaf community, while the racecourse also welcomed back the team from ‘Autism In Racing’ and their incredible sensory room.
Ponte also hosted a ‘trip down Memory Lane’ talk for a group of dementia patients.
The opening race at this meeting has been farmed recently by trainer Paul Midgley who had taken the spoils for the previous five years.
Keen to make it six wins on the trot, the trainer was responsible for four of the nine declarations, including the first two in the betting, Emperor Caradoc and Spring is Sprung.
Midgley was successful again as the leading fancies finished first and second – but not in the order that punters predicted with second favourite Spring is Sprung making all the running at a brisk pace under apprentice Archie Young.
The Bill Carrigill Memorial Handicap commemorated the life of a former Pontefract annual badge holder and saw the joint largest field of the day as 13 runners competed over the 1m2f trip.
The race provided the biggest shock of the day as the rank outsider, Lord Warburton, stole the show, winning at 125-1 for trainer Mike Sowersby and jockey Aiden Brookes.
The seven-year-old had been a promising youngster for trainer Michael Bell before losing his way and was bought by schoolteacher Emma Forman for just £3,000 with the aim of a hurdling career.
That did not work out as planned, but there could certainly be a future on the flat, with the gelding winning nicely by two-and-a-half lengths.
Juddmonte sent out the impressive winner of the Northern Commercials Maiden Fillies Stakes over 6f when Ralph Beckett’s Ardeur cantered clear of her field under Rossa Ryan.
Fourth in a York Maiden first time out, the daughter of 2,000 Guineas winner Kameko looks like she has a real future as she put six lengths between herself and nearest pursuer Lady Luzon.
The Beckett/Ryan team doubled up in the very next race when Esmeray took the one-and-half mile handicap by an easy four-and-a-half lengths.
The latest round of the 2024 Stayers Championship saw the Tony Bethell Memorial race staged and a field of 13 lined up with punters backing Tigerten into favouritism for trainer Kevin Frost and treble seeking Rossa Ryan.
The seven-year-old could not oblige, however, as he looked as though he just ran out of stamina in the closing stages when he was unable to reel in the three leaders.
Victory went to Sara Ender’s Sam Sarphati who relished the step up to two miles, winning cosily under jockey Harrison Shaw.
With stamina clearly a strong point, the son of New Approach may be able to follow up when faced with a similar test.
Punters had to wait until the final race on the card, but Ryan did record his third victory of the evening when Travis took The Mr Wolf Sprint for the George Boughey team.
The race celebrates the career of the winning most horse at Pontefract, who clocked up eight victories at the West Yorkshire track.
It was Travis’s first victory but, judging by the way he took it, there could be plenty more to come.
There is not long to wait for the next race meeting at the West Yorkshire track with Pontefract’s first Family Day of the season taking place on Sunday, June 23. The ‘Yorkshire Heritage’ race meeting has over £120k worth of prize money up for grabs. It’s always a popular event and with a funfair, whippet racing, Yorkshire Pudding throwing and the Flat Cap Brass Band, it promises to be a day to remember. Full details are available at the racecourse website www.pontefract-races.co.uk