Pontefract Racecourse has special buzz on ‘OAP Free Day’

Recognised at the Racecourse Association Showcase Awards in November 2022 for marketing excellence, the OAP Free Day saw more than 2,500 over 60s register for free tickets for the day and with some fantastic racing there was a real buzz to the racecourse with a crowd of over 4,000 excited racegoers, writes Richard Hammill.

The feature race on the card was the £27,000 RIU Hotels and Resorts Handicap. Last year’s winner, Baryshnikov, was back to defend his crown but there was confidence in the representatives from the southern yards with high class hurdler, Ajero, the former Ballydoyle inmate, Sun King, and Charlie Fellowes’ Cumulonimbus all well fancied.

It was, however, Lightening Company, who returned to his best for the in-form Ben Haslam. Quickening up well in the home straight, the winner spread eagled a good quality field and looks worth following during the season. He will now head to York for the Dante meeting.

The Pontefract Marathon Handicap is always an intriguing race as it is the longest flat handicap run in this country on, arguably, one of the toughest tracks in the country.

Three mile winning hurdle, Giovanni Change set out to exploit any frailties in his opponent’s stamina and quickly established a good lead at a strong pace. The welter burden of 9st 12lbs was not enough to stop the Mark Walford trained winner under an excellent ride from Jack Garrity who had his rivals strung out over the length of the home straight.

The opening race was the first two-year-old race of the season at Pontefract. It also marked the first ride on the track for Billy Loughnane who has taken the racing world by storm in his first season.

It was the dream start for the 17-year-old who steered the George Scott trained Billy Webster to a short head victory. The winner was carried across the track by the runner-up Indication Call, but showed a really good attitude to put his head in front on the line.

Concorde has had an eventful season so far. Having won impressively on his seasonal debut at Redcar, he was a short priced favourite to follow up at Chelmsford only to be caught on the line in controversial circumstances.

Turned out quickly, the son of Sixties Icon was a warm order to record his second win of the season and victory was never in doubt. Ben Curtis was always well placed on George Boughey’s runner and quickened smartly to record a 10 length success.

Likely to incur a hefty rise in the handicap, Concorde will be stepped up in grade.

George Boughey’s Wild Side went agonisingly close to securing a double for the yard in the 6f fillies novice later on the card but was just touched off by John Quinn’s Tellus who was scoring for the first time after a string of second places. Jason Hart did the steering on the 9-2 shot.

It can often pay to be close to the pace at Ponte and the other two winners on the card were never far away from the front. Harriet Bethell’s On The River was having his first run for the yard having been bought out of the Ben Haslam stable and showed a really willing attitude to repel all challengers. It was somewhat easier for Ruth Carr’s Reigning Profit in the final race with James Sullivan never seeing another rival and the victory rarely looking in doubt.

The next meeting is National Horseracing College Charity Day on Wednesday, May 3. Tickets are available from the website (pontefract-races.co.uk).