A first visit to the scenic West Yorkshire venue at Pontefract in what is one of their more prestigious race meetings. Based just outside of Leeds, Pontefract is a unique test with a stiff uphill finish for the final six furlongs. Course specialists are common here and there were plenty of past winners reappearing again at Pontefract. The likes of the Simon Whitaker-trainer Round The Island, Ruth Jefferson's Flint Hill and John Berry's Dereham amongst many who enjoy the Pontefract rollercoaster. 
The feature race was a class two fillies' handicap which saw a small but competitive field of fillies and mares and was won last year by the tough and subsequent listed race winner Gale Force Maya. This year's renewal would be won by International Girl in a minor surprise, showing her run at the Ebor Festival last time out was a one off. It was her second win in three starts and has looked improved recently for trainer Richard Fahey and jockey Connor Murtagh.
Another qualifier for the "Pontefract Stayers' Series" event at the final meeting took place over the marathon trip of two miles and one furlong and the scheme encourages horses to return to West Yorkshire regularly as it awards points for each race in the series and an eventual winner is declared at the end of Pontefract's season. Plenty of household names in the staying handicap world were present and the race went to the mare Infiniti, who has been a revelation this season. Despite the age of nine, she had previously won four times this year and made it five out of six with a determined finish to deny last year's leading Pontefract stayer Flint Hill.
Elsewhere on the card, the aformentioned "Ponte legend" Round The Island rolled back the years to win one again at Pontefract in the apprentice handicap under the well named jockey Mark Winn. It is his seventh win at the course and third in this very race. The novice event split into two divisions and both saw experience come to the fore with some smart performers. Hougoumont made it two wins from three starts for Julie Camacho and Ralph Beckett's Quantum Impact upgraded his form figures to 421 with the win. Another course specialist Carrigillihy landed the middle distance handicap to remain unbeaten in three starts at Pontefract and in the older horse novice, there was a smart debut performance by Poker Face, who held all the cards to win going away for the Crisfords. 

Race Winners:
*Please not that I did not cover the final race on the card*
Round The Island (#10)  - Mark Winn - Simon Whitaker - Royal Applause x Luanshya
Hougoumont (#1) - David Nolan - Julie Camacho - Rajasinghe x New Road Side
Quantum Impact (#5) - Hector Crouch - Ralph Beckett - Invincible Spirit x Maria Celeste
Carrigilihy (#9) - Sean Kirrane - Tim Easterby - New Bay x Spectacle 
International Girl (#6) - Connor Murtagh - Richard Fahey - Camacho x Lady Arabella
Infiniti (#9) - Aiden Brookes - Kevin Frost - Arcano x Seraphina
Poker Face (#6) - Hector Crouch - Simon and Ed Crisford - Fastnet Rock x Stars At Night.