Pontefract races: Preview and tips for competitive seven-race Wednesday card

Racing gets under way at the track at 2.05pm with a five furlong sprint in class four before the action concludes at 5.35pm with the 1m 6f handicap.

Race one (2.05) looks to be all about Impressor, third at Thirsk 11 days ago and he’s only been penalised 1lb in the weights here for trainer Phillip Makin after a successful 2023 which saw the seven-year-old accrue four wins.

Race two (2.40) is a 5f sprint in class four, with seven runners set to head to post. The Karl Burke-trained Invincible Annice, purchased for 50,000gns as a yearling, makes her debut here and makes clear appeal being from the family of top-class sprinter Muhaarar, a winner of the July Cup and British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Race three (3.15) is a 1m2f handicap with nine runners tackling the trip. Bearwith was successful on the all-weather surface three weeks back at Southwell and is taken to keep up the winning streak back on the turf at Pontefract.

The main threat can come from Chiantico, a strong second at Bath last month with the first-time tongue strap applied and can go well again if he can defy a 3lb rise in the weights.

Do I Dream looks the one to beat in race four (3.50), a narrow Ripon winner and then scoring in a course and distance handicap nine days ago for the Ben Haslam yard.

Race five (4.25) appears to be a shootout between Mart, well-handicapped here following a second at Chelmsford just over a fortnight ago and Pals Battalion, a winner when last seen back in September at Beverley.

Race six on the Pontefract card (5.00) sees 100,000gns purchase Savvy Exchange head to the racecourse for a second time after a decent second on debut but more was expected - and is so again here.

Condor Pasa, trained by Roger Varian, has potential as well after two thirds in two starts on the all-weather and holds claims if he can translate that form to the turf.

The final contest of the afternoon arrives at 5.35 and 12 runners will head to the stalls for the class six handicap over the 1m 6f trip. Isle Of Wolves has not won in 27 starts so might not make for a promising selection but he has tumbled down the weights since then and arrives in some good form, fifth in a handicap at Newcastle when last seen and should appreciate the drop down in trip at Pontefract.

Pontefract selections - (via horse racing odds)

2.05 - Impressor

2.40 - Invincible Annice

3.15 - Bearwith

3.50 - Do I Dream

4.25 - Mart

5.00 - Savvy Exchange

5.35 - Isle Of Wolves