Round The Island and other Pontefract Racecourse regulars show the way home

The day got off to the perfect start for those punters who follow course form as Simon Whitaker’s ‘Round The Island’ registered his seventh win at Pontefract, writes Richard Hammill.

He is now the second winning most horse at Ponte, just one short of Mr Wolf’s record eight wins.

It was a superb performance by horse and jockey, Mark Winn, as well as they weaved their way through the 15 runner field to lead right on the line with just a short head separating the first three runners.

Magical Effect and Carlton and Co were both snapping at his heels in a real head bobbing finish.

Another course specialist struck in the Napoleons Casino Bradford Handicap over 1m4f when Tim Easterby’s Carrigillihy took his course record to a perfect three out of three.

The big grey gelding, owned by The Harmonious Lot, thoroughly enjoys the stamina test that Pontefract requires and he galloped on relentlessly under a powerful Sean Kirrane ride.

He seems to reserve his best for the track having won here earlier in the season but been out of form on his subsequent runs.

Feature race on the card was the £30,000 British EBF Fillies Handicap and there was a strong line-up of fillies assembled. The race had been won by the fantastic Gale Force Maya in 2021 and this year’s winner has big shoes to fill.

Another Romance, for the Crosford team, was a well backed favourite, but failed by just a head to reel in Richard Fahey’s International Girl.

Having her first run of the season away from the Knavesmire, the four-year-old filly was held up at the back of the field before weaving her way through the pack to take up the running in the final furlong.

Clearly better suited to 6f than 5f, the winner could progress to a much higher level.

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The Crisford team had better luck in the Nadeen Dawson Memorial Maiden when their Poker Face made a winning debut under jockey Hector Crouch. The well bred gelding produced a stunning turn of foot to quicken 3¼ lengths clear of his rivals.

Runner-up Firth of Clyde had shown some smart form as a two-year-old and the form could be strong.

There was a double on the card for jockey Hector Crouch as he steered Quantum Impact to victory in Division 2 of the Fiat Doblo Novice Stakes.

Ralph Beckett’s only runner on the card always travelled well and lengthened clear of Karl Burke’s eye-catching newcomer, Hobson Point.

Division 1 of the same race went to Julie Camacho’s Hougoumont who was following up his recent win at Newcastle. It takes a smart juvenile to carry a penalty to victory and the son of Rajasinghe could make his mark at a higher level.

It was the fifth round of the 2022 Stayers Championship and there was a line-up of Ponte favourites as previous course winners Flint Hill, Wynford, Dereham and Overhaugh Street were among a 13 strong field.

Flint Hill looked the likely winner for much of the race as he led his rivals a merry dance, but he could not hold off the late challenge of Kevin Frost’s Infiniti who made it five wins for the season.

She has now won at three of the Yorkshire courses this season and is in the running to be crowned the first Yorkshire Wonder Horse if she can complete the set of all nine courses before the end of 2023.

Yet another previous winner scored on the card when Gainsbourg took the closing Matty Bown Handicap for trainer Ed Bethell and jockey PJ McDonald.

The four-year-old has never been out of the first three in his trips to the West Yorkshire track and he showed his rivals a clean pair of heels to win by 2¼ lengths.

The next meeting at Pontefract takes place on Thursday. Full details can be found at www.pontefract-races.co.uk