The Fillers Fill Ponte!
The first evening fixture of the 2025 Pontefract season took place last Friday night with music after racing from ‘The Fillers’. A stellar crowd were out in force to see some exciting racing and then dance the night away with the superb Killers tribute band.
There was some fantastic racing to kick off proceedings too. The feature race on the card was £30,000 Juddmonte EBF Restricted Maiden and 10 two-year-olds took to the turf to strut their stuff. Newmarket raider Farough, trained by Roger Varian and ridden by Ray Dawson justified favouritism running out an impressive winner and he looks set for an exciting campaign. The runner-up, Big Fun, made an eye-catching debut and will surely go one better before too long.
The opening race on the card, The FBS Chartered Accountants Handicap, went the way of the Liam Bailey-trained Protest Rally. The five-year-old gelding came into the race in good form and delivered a strong challenge inside the final furlong to score under 5lb claimer Cian Horgan. The partnership also tasted victory at Musselburgh earlier this month.
The Napoleons Casino Bradford Maiden Handicap was won in good style by odds-on favourite Arundel and Silvestre De Sousa. Ed Dunlop’s representative showed improved form when runner-up at Beverley earlier in the month and got off the mark at the fifth attempt. Further improvement can be expected of him now.
The finish of the night came in the PMW Quarries Handicap over 1m4f when Dubai Venture and Sam James made all the running before narrowly holding off the challenge of Agathon by a nose with Fiftyshadesaresdev just a head further back in third. He was another going one better than a Beverley runner-up effort earlier in the month.
Maddelina displayed plenty of promise when third on her debut at Carlisle and showed the benefit of that experience to take the Jamie and Kathie Clements Memorial Fillies’ Novice Stakes. John & Sean Quinn’s filly is open to further improvement and could be one to follow as she moves into handicap company.
The Julian Foster Memorial rounded off the card and Mount King provided the in-form Tim Easterby yard with another winner. David Allan was forced to bide his time following a slow start but delivered his challenge approaching the final furlong, coming away to win in impressive fashion.
The next race meeting at the Yorkshire track is another evening fixture. The award-winning Racing For Everyone Race Night, held on Monday 9th June, sees the track throwing it’s doors open to guests who may be looking to go racing for the first time and regular racegoers alike.
Contact: Jonathan Mullin (Chief Executive/Clerk of the Course) 01977 781307