PONTEFRACT RACES are run by PONTEFRACT PARK RACE COMPANY LIMITED, a company registered in England No. 159754 whose address within Great Britain is The Administration Office, Pontefract Park, Park Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF8 4QD.
Attention Trainers, Owners, Stable Staff and Track Specialists!
New to Pontefract for the 2025 season is the Chaiman’s Challenge. ANY horse achieving three wins at ‘Ponte’ will unlock a bounty of £3000, with an additional £1000 on offer for any further victories!
The trainer of any horse to achieve the feat will be rewarded with a race sponsorship and use of a private box facility with badges included for them and their owners at the season finale on Monday 20th October (or at the 2026 season opener should the third victory be achieved on the final day of the season).
The stable staff at the yard of any horse recording three victories will receive a £500 prize.
As an additional prize there is £1000 up for grabs for the owners of the horse who makes the most individual appearances at Pontefract in the 2025 season, with a £250 prize for the stable staff of the yard.
William Bethell, Chairman of Pontefract Racecourse, said:
“It’s a very nice initiative to reward those who return regularly to support the racecourse and to give Owners and Trainers an additional incentive to come to Pontefract. It’s always nice to see previous winners return and hopefully, as the season progresses, we will see more do so”.
Pontefract Races CEO and Clerk of the Course, Jonathan Mullin said:
“We’re very grateful for the fantastic support we receive from Owners, Trainers and Stable Staff who are regular visitors to Pontefract and we wanted to do something to reward that support.
“The Chairman’s Challenge provides a good incentive for previous winners to return and together with the prize for the horse who makes the most appearances, it will hopefully make for an interesting narrative across the season”.
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.
REVIEW – PONTEFRACT RACECOURSE TUESDAY 8th APRIL 2025
THE 2025 SEASON GETS UNDERWAY AT PONTEFRACT
The 2025 racing season at Pontefract got underway on Tuesday 8th April under blue skies and resplendent sunshine, a stark contrast to the 2024 opener! The day began with a tribute to outgoing COO Richard Hammill, a wonderful servant to Pontefract Racecourse and the racing industry in his 24 years at the track. The Thank You Richard Hammill Novice Stakes was won in game fashion by the Richard Fahey trained Strong Warrior. An impressive winner at Ayr on his only run to date, he made all the running under Oisin Orr and gamely held off the late challenge of Veblen Good to maintain his 100% record. With further improvement likely, he certainly has the look of a sprinter to follow.
The feature race of the day, the £30,000 Every Race Live on Racing TV Handicap over the five-furlong trip went the way of Fahrenheit Seven and Connor Beasley. Mark Usher’s representative was held up in rear through the early part of the race but finished strongly to deny the front running Dream Composer.
The two mile and two-furlong stayers handicap remembered popular course stalwart, Jamaican Flight and produced the most impressive winner of the day in the shape of Diamand De Vindecy. Easing to the front in the home straight, he readily scooted clear of his rivals to win by almost ten-lengths under Jason Hart. His trainer Robert Bevis subsequently hinted that he would likely return to Pontefract for a crack at more stayers glory in the coming months.
Regular sponsors Napoleon’s Casino, Bradford are once again sponsoring a series of races during the season and the winner of the first of them was Dark Cloud Rising. Danny Tudhope had the David O’Meara-trained gelding in pole position from the outset and he was in full command in the closing stages.
Letmeseethecolts was a popular winner of The Tommy Hepple Memorial Handicap. Relishing every yard of the one mile four-furlong test, she stretched clear under Joanna Mason and it would be no surprise to see the Brian Ellison-trained filly in the winners’ enclosure again soon.
The penultimate race was the Celebrating the Life of Cheryl Hibbert Handicap which saw a thrilling head-to-head battle in the closing stages between Tofrida and One More Dream, the latter narrowly getting the better of the argument under a power-packed ride from Jason Hart. This was an eleventh career success for the six-year-old, trained by John and Sean Quinn.
Partisan Hero sent favourite backers home happy, following up his February Kempton success in the concluding Racing TV Sky Channel 424 Handicap for Richard Kingscote and David Loughnane.
The next meeting is on Monday 14th April and includes the Pontefract Marathon over 2m5f – making it the longest handicap race run on the flat in this country! It’s also OAP Free Day and over 60s can register for a free ticket via the website (pontefract-races.co.uk).
Contact: Jonathan Mullin (Chief Executive Officer) 01977 781307
JONATHAN MULLIN APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT PONTEFRACT
Pontefract Racecourse are pleased to announce that Jonathan Mullin has been appointed as their Chief Executive Officer to take over from Richard Hammill, who is to leave on 7th March to take up a position as Chief Executive Officer at a Tourist Attraction and Events Venue.
Jonathan is currently Operations and Marketing Manager and Raceday Clerk of the Course at Ripon Racecourse. He will be taking up his new role at Pontefract on the 17th March but will continue to help out at Ripon in the short term as well as being available for raceday Clerking duties as often as possible in the coming season.
A racing fan from a young age, Jonathan completed the British Horseracing Authority Graduate Development Programme in 2008 and after spending 4 years on the horseracing desk at PA Sport he joined Sky Bet as a Racing and Greyhound Trader, followed by 4 ½ years working across several bookmakers as Horseracing and Greyhounds Trading and Risk Manager. He graduated from the inaugural Thoroughbred Horseracing Industry MBA course in 2017 and joined Ripon in 2018 where he has since become accredited as a Clerk of the Course as well as handling raceday operations, social media, community engagement and the sustainability programme and being involved in many aspects of racecourse administration.
Pontefract Director Norman Gundill said “I myself, my fellow Directors, and all the staff at Pontefract are delighted that Jonathan is to join us. He has had an excellent grounding in racecourse management at Ripon and we have no doubt he will continue the excellent leadership Richard has given us by providing strong commercial management and will develop and deliver strategies and innovation to continue to strengthen Pontefract’s position in the industry”.
Jonathan Mullin said “I’m delighted to be joining Pontefract and I’m looking forward to building on the fantastic work that Richard and the team have done over the years. I’ve been privileged to spend a wonderful seven years at Ripon and I owe a debt of gratitude to James Hutchinson and everybody at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse for all I have learned during that time.
It’s a very exciting time to be joining Pontefract and I’m looking forward to the challenge of driving the racecourse forward, with the start of the season on Tuesday 8th April now just around the corner”.
Welcome to another blog from the team at Pontefract Racecourse.
Every fortnight, someone from the team will share their thoughts for your entertainment (or otherwise!):
Managing Director, Norman Gundill with his trusty PA, Caroline who also looks after the hospitality,
Accounts Manager, Nicola,
Admin manager, Carol,
Marketing exec, Alexia, who is writing this blog, and,
Chief Operating Officer, Richard
Mark your calendars for Monday, 14th April, back again for its fourth year in a row, is the OAP Free Raceday.
On this day, anyone aged 60 and over can request complimentary admission to the Grandstand and Paddock Enclosure and enjoy a day at Pontefract Races for free!
For a completely free and fantastic family day out, why not bring the grandchildren along too! As don’t forget under 18’s go free in to all enclosures, at every meeting.
To receive a free ticket on this day, simply click on the ticket icon in the top right corner of the screen, select the OAP Free Raceday, scroll down to ‘Grandstand and Paddock’, click this heading and the option to add a free ticket to your basket will appear.
Please note that you can only add one free ticket to your basket. It will also ask you to enter your date of birth at checkout, by doing so you are confirming you are over 60. You may be asked for ID on the day.
The free ticket is only available online and will be sent to your email address as an e-ticket. It is not available on the day at the gate, but it will be available to order from our website up until 12pm on the 14th April.
We chose the date of our first OAP Free Day so that was early in the racing season to help drive attendance at the quieter, midweek meetings, we went with Monday 11th April, the 2nd meeting of our 2022 season. On this day 4017 racegoers attended the fixture which was a 39.4% increase on the attendance from the same fixture in 2019.
A relatively quiet Monday afternoon meeting, has gradually increased over the years to become one of our most popular and well attended fixtures, last year we saw 4362 attend the meeting and already this year we have emailed out nearly 1000 free tickets.
The success of the imitative was recognised across the industry, in the same year it was launched, the OAP Free Day received the Racecourse Association Raceday Award which was held here at Pontefract!
The day has since grown year on year, last year we introduced an upgrade option for the Dalby Stand. The idea was for racegoers to interact and get to know one other, while also having a base for the day.
The OAP Free Day Dalby Upgrade costs £27.50 per person, and is available to purchase online. The ticket includes an upgrade into the Premier Enclosure, a seat for the entire day, tea, coffee and biscuits, sandwich buffet and racecard and a pen.
If you fancy, you can also upgrade your free Grandstand and Paddock ticket for a Premier Enclosure Badge for £6.00, this can be done either on the day or online. If you purchase the £6.oo Premier Upgrade, there is no need to also add the free ticket to your basket.
There is also a discount in the Park Suite Restaurant on this day. The Park Suite Restaurant offers a reserved table for the day with views overlooking the Parade Ring and Winning Post. It includes admission into the Premier Enclosure, a four course carvery lunch with light afternoon tea.
If you would like anymore information, please email info@pontefract-races.co.uk
While OAPs can enjoy free entry into the Grandstand and Paddock, this is a day for everyone to come along and soak up the excitement.
We hope you can join us for a great day at the races and experience an afternoon of thrilling racing at one of Yorkshire’s most traditional Racecourses! You’ll receive a warm, friendly, Yorkshire welcome from the team at Pontefract, so come and join us for a great day out!
Don’t forget, this fixture is an Autism Friendly Raceday, with a dedicated sensory room and designated quiet and safe space. To find out more please visit: autisminracing.com
Pontefract Weighing Room Celebrated with Design Award
Pontefract Civic Trust has awarded one of its Annual Design Awards to Pontefract Racecourse for the improvements carried out to its Weighing Room Complex last winter.
The construction of the new Weighing Room was a significant project undertaken by the racecourse and completed on-time to a tight deadline, with work commencing following the final race meeting of 2023 and being operational by the first race meeting of 2024.
The previous Weighing Room in the Main Stand had to be completely stripped out and renovated in line with new requirements established by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). These requirements set minimum standards for all British racecourses to ensure facilities remain appropriate for elite athletes.
The specification for the new Weighing Room was agreed by the BHA’s Weighing Room Facilities Working Party which included representatives of all personnel who work in the area, including jockeys.
R H Fullwood & Co Ltd of South Elmsall were the main contractors, with the work overseen by Guy Fullwood. The design was by Katie Craggs of Craggs Architects who are based just outside Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Paul Cartwright, chair of Pontefract Civic Society said ” The title “Improvement Award” doesn’t really describe the sheer scale of this project in reordering a myriad of at least nine separate rooms and spaces on the ground floor of the Main Stand. We felt that the improvements had been carried out to the highest quality with the best materials and workmanship possible. Some confined areas were opened up. Wherever dedicated areas had to remain, use was maximised, whether official workspaces, or relaxation and social spaces for the jockeys and valets. These facilities are a credit to the whole team and will surely continue to enhance Pontefract’s reputation.”
Dale Gibson (Director of Racing for the PJA) said “On behalf of the PJA and our members, we are delighted that Pontefract have received recognition for delivering their comprehensive weighing room upgrade. We worked closely with Norman Gundill and his team throughout the process who were highly professional throughout each phase. Our members now have a modern area providing equal services and facilities for male and female Jockeys, whilst creating a highly commended working environment. We urgently encourage all venues, some of whom have recently extended their timeline to deliver upgrades in a far speedier manner”.
When the new facility was first used on 2nd April last year Jockey Connor Beasley said of the scheme “They’ve done a tremendous job. Everybody is happy with it”.
On receiving the Award, Pontefract Director Norman Gundill said “This is a testament to the excellent work done by our Architect Katie Craggs and R H Fullwood & Co who carried out the work on time, within budget, and to an excellent standard. Activity in the Weighing Room area can be frantic at times. The new facilities are almost unrecognisable from what we had before and now provide a much better environment for everyone to work in. We are committed to providing the best facilities we can for everyone who comes to Pontefract Racecourse”.
Welcome to another blog from the team at Pontefract Racecourse.
Every fortnight, someone from the team will share their thoughts for your entertainment (or otherwise!):
Managing Director, Norman Gundill with his trusty PA, Caroline who also looks after the hospitality,
Accounts Manager, Nicola,
Admin manager, Carol,
Marketing exec, Alexia, who is writing this blog, and,
Chief Operating Officer, Richard
Dreaming of a week in the sun, walking along the beach with the sand between your toes or laying by the pool reading a book?
Riu Hotel Dubai
Well you could be spending a week relaxing by the very pool pictured above!
What if we told you that Riu Hotels and Resorts have very kindly offered an all-inclusive weeklong stay for two at the Riu Dubai to the lucky winner of this years Best Dressed Ladies Competition, with flights as well!
What a prize, does it get much better than a free holiday! Yes, you did read that correctly, the lucky winner will win an all-inclusive holiday, to Dubai with flights included courtesy of Riu Hotels!
The four star hotel is situated at Deira Islands, on the coast of the city of Dubai, directly on the beach, offering a 24-hour all-inclusive stay to make your holiday a unique experience.
Located on the beachfront
The hotel has comfortably furnished rooms with free WiFi and offers many amenities, as well as plentiful options for dining including live cooking stations, themed buffets at the main restaurant as well as Asian, Italian and Lebanese speciality restaurants and not to mention six bars! The great leisure and relaxation facilities of the Riu Dubai are sure to amaze you: entertainment areas, three outdoor pools, a spa, a conference room, various themed restaurants, the Splash Water World water park… and much more.
Spa
The location is ideal because of its proximity to Dubai and invites you to explore the area, the Burj Khalifa situated only 15km away and Dubai International Airport just 11km away.
It just sounds incredible! To be in with a chance of winning, join us on Ladies Day and enter the Best Dressed Ladies Competition – details of the competition to be confirmed.
We are very grateful for the continued support from Riu Hotels, and it is wonderful for them to offer such an incredible prize to the winner. They have been kind enough to sponsor the Best Dressed Ladies competition for over 10 years, with previous winners jetting off to destinations including Mauritius and Mexico!
It isn’t just the winner who will be jetting off, the runner up will win a three night stay for two at the Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin with bed and breakfast (flights not included).
Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin
The four star hotel is in the heart of Dublin City Centre, in a historic building on the famous O’Connell Street. This Irish hotel offers you the best facilities for you to enjoy an unforgettable holiday. All the rooms are equipped with excellent amenities to cover all your needs during your stay.
Its in an ideal location for any visitor. Surrounded by the main shopping area in Grafton Street and Henry Street, you will also find the most celebrated shows and theatres such as Gate Theatre and the National Concert Hall, and some of the most famous places in Dublin like Croke Park and Temple Bar. The hotel is also located a stone’s throw away from Abbey Street tram station which will easily take you to any other point of the city.
The glitz and glamour hits Ponte Carlo on Wednesday 6th of August for a showcase of style both on and off the track.
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a new outfit, then look no further. With an array of hats, fascinators and stilettos, the ladies of Yorkshire truly do ‘dress to impress’ in an effort to win the coveted Best Dressed Ladies Competition.
There is limited hospitality remaining for Ladies Day however there are still plenty of entry tickets available as well as the Ladies Day Marquee, all available to purchase online. The earlier you book the cheaper the ticket. Click here to book.
Welcome to another blog from the team at Pontefract Racecourse.
Every fortnight, someone from the team will share their thoughts for your entertainment (or otherwise!):
Managing Director, Norman Gundill with his trusty PA, Caroline who also looks after the hospitality,
Accounts Manager, Nicola,
Admin manager, Carol,
Marketing exec, Alexia, who is writing this blog, and,
Chief Operating Officer, Richard
We are thrilled to announce that The Fillers will be taking to the stage after racing on Friday Eve 23rd May.
Coming out of their cage and heading straight to the stage! After an evening of thrilling racing, the world’s first and best tribute to “The Killers” will be performing after the last race.
The group who formed back in 2006 in the era of Sam’s Town will be performing iconic hits such as Mr Brightside, Somebody Told Me and many more, you don’t want to miss it!
The Fillers have even interacted with the actual band themselves at close quarters, they’ve captured the sound look and feel of the Vegas quartet.
Even The Killers frontman Brandon Flowers reckons “You should check them out”.
Somebody told me this event is going to be unforgettable! So don’t let jealousy get you—grab your tickets now! Click here to book.
Why not try the Wrap ‘n’ Roll package. On both Friday Evenings in 2025 (23rd May & 18th July) we have a new package called Wrap ‘n’ Roll. For £30 enjoy entry into the Grandstand & Paddock, a Yorkshire pudding wrap and pint (or glass of house wine). This ticket must be booked in advance online.
Stay tuned to find out who will be performing on Friday 18th July, any guesses?
Welcome to another blog from the team at Pontefract Racecourse.
Every fortnight, someone from the team will share their thoughts for your entertainment (or otherwise!):
Managing Director, Norman Gundill with his trusty PA, Caroline who also looks after the hospitality,
Accounts Manager, Nicola,
Admin manager, Carol,
Marketing exec, Alexia, who is writing this blog, and,
Chief Operating Officer, Richard
As you may well know, at Pontefract Racecourse over the years we have built a great relationship with the charity New Beginnings. New Beginnings, based just outside of York, rehome and retrain former racehorses. They provide a safe supportive environment for former racehorses to adapt and learn new skills after they have finished their first career in racing.
We have worked closely with Pam, Kev and the team at the yard for a while now, they have been bringing their horses to the Racecourse for over 10 years! You will often see them at one of our Sunday meetings with Nico, the Racecourses Equine Ambassador.
After a staff visit to the yard in 2023 we were all keen to be able to do as much as we possibly could to help New Beginnings and the horses.
As a result, we launched a new initiative to help support New Beginnings. The aim was to raise not only funds but to showcase the wonderful work they do in helping thoroughbreds in the next stage of their career.
In January of this year, we launched our ‘Twelve Months Of Giving’ campaign. The idea was that each month we would focus on a different fundraising activity.
So as the year draws to a close, lets take a look back at what we got up to!
We got things started with a staff visit to lend a hand around the yard.
Our groundstaff got stuck in with digging up the concrete floor in one of the outbuildings which was in the process of being totally transformed. This building is now used as an Education Hub!
In February we had another team trip to the yard to take part in Horse Awareness Training. Then after catching up with Nico and handing out lots of polos, we got stuck into some painting.
In March some of our annual badge holders were lucky enough to go on a behind the scenes tour of New Beginnings, meeting lots of horses and finding out more about the work that takes place.
In April ahead of the start of the season, we set up the option to add on a voluntary donation to New Beginnings when purchasing tickets online. All funds raised through the voluntary donations at checkout go directly to help support New Beginnings, enabling them to continue their great work. All donations are greatly appreciated.
Over the summer months New Beginnings visited the Racecourse introducing racegoers to Nico, Remy and Poppy the pony! You will find them at each of our Sunday meetings, located on the Marquee Site, just to the left of the Parade Ring. There you can meet not only the equine stars, but Pam, Kev and some of the team and find out more about the day to day work involved in looking after and retraining the horses.
As part of the campaign, the Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract welcomed some very special guests. Pontefract racecourse Equine Ambassador, Nico and former racehorse, Remy, visited the hospice to meet with staff and patients. It was incredible to see the staff and patients interacting with the horses and witnessing first hand the powerful impact racehorses have on people. We look forward to taking the horses back to the hospice to create more special memories for staff and patients alike.
In Autumn we headed up to yard again to help add the fishing touches to the new Education Hub ready for its opening. We also met the newest addition to the New Beginnings family, the goats!
As the year comes to an end, for December we look forward to welcoming the New Beginnings team to the Racecourse for their Christmas Party, enjoying a well deserved night off. Have a lovely time!
We look forward to another year working with New Beginnings.
As this will be the last blog before Christmas, all the team at Pontefract wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Tickets for the new racing season at Pontefract will be on sale here from 9am on Sunday 1st December with the track offering the best rates now for their 2025 racedays which get underway on Tuesday 8th April.
The West Yorkshire course’s early bird offers have become renowned in recent years with around 25% off ‘on the day’ admission prices. At most meetings, entry to the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure is just £10 for those who book early.
Pontefract will once again have 16 race meetings in 2025 with 3 Family Sundays, 2 Friday Evening Music Nights and the popular Ladies Day, supported once again by RIU Hotels and Resorts, on Wednesday 6th August. While no announcements have been made yet for artists to perform on their music nights, the course has pledged that the fun filled events will be back next year.
The course has also committed to continue the popular ‘True Yorkshireman’ package which is amongst the best value in racing at any track in the country. The offer includes entry to the Paddock, a pint and a pie for just £17 at any of our afternoon meetings (other than Ladies Day).
Chief Operating Officer, Richard Hammill, said:
‘We’re delighted to launch the ticket sales for 2025 and I hope that our customers can see our commitment to providing a great day out for racegoers at a reasonable cost. In addition to the True Yorkshireman package, we’ll also have our OAP Free Day on Monday 14th April when those over 60 can come racing free of charge when they apply in advance. On top of that, under 18s go free to every race meeting. We may have only just finished our 2024 racing season but we’re very much focused on getting everything back up and ready for next April and we can’t wait to see racegoers again.’
Throughout 2025, the Pontefract team will once again be working alongside Autism in Racing to provide complimentary entry, a sensory room and a quiet space for families with autistic children. This initiative is unique across Racecourses in the UK and won the ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ Award at the Racecourse Association Showcase Awards in Edinburgh.
