Racing would return to West Yorkshire as Pontefract began their season for 2025 with a competitive card. The tight and twisty left handed course provides a challenge for horses young and old, but as this card shows, plenty of money goes into the prize money fund. Last year saw contrasting conditions for this meeting as it was run on heavy ground, but with plenty of recent sunshine and breeze, the ground was on the safe side as good to soft.

Race One: The Thank You Richard Hammill Novice Stakes - Class Five - Six Furlongs - Runners: 8
The 2025 season would kick off at Pontefract with this interesting novice contest over six furlongs. The race is open to three year olds and older and saw some previous winners line up against those who showed promise last year. Last year, Michael Dods's Close Connection handled the ground best of all with a stylish victory. 

The class of 2025 would consist solely of three year olds.  The first of the previous winners in the contest would be Richard Fahey's colt Strong Warrior. The son of Mehmas defied inexperience to win very stylishly at Ayr in July, but has been absent since then. Lining up in opposition would be Karl Burke's Veblen Good, who comes from a family of top sprinters and used the experience of his debut second at Sandown to win by the smallest of margins at Wolverhampton when last seen. Mick and David Easterby would saddle their newcomer Big Apple Jack in this contest, the gelding is a close relative to a speedy winner, so would need to be sharp on his first start here. The Easterby name would also be represented with Tim's Canaria Sun, who also made his debut here. His dam won at this venue in the past and would look to keep it in the family. The Tony Coyle and Kaine Wood stable would saddle two runners. Firstly Ey Up He's A Star, who comes from a family of multiple winners for his owners and wouldn't be a surprise to be the latest winner in time. The gelding showed promise in both starts last summer and looks capable of winning. His stablemate from the Norton yard Passchendaele would join him in the lineup. The gelding is bred to be quick and is related a former course and distance winner. Declan Carroll would also be represented by a newcomer in the form of Right And Exact. He is bred by a high profile breeding operation and his dam was a good level sprinter. The stable have introduced winning newcomers in the past. Tim Easterby's U Sure Do ran to a smart standard last year, almost causing a big shock when second on debut and then finishing third in a good novice at York next time. He has since been gelded and it seemed to be a matter of time before he wins a race. The newcomer William Marshal has been gelded ahead of his debut for the Kevin Frost stable and is a half brother to a tough sort, but this looked a good race to make his debut in. The filly Call Me Betty lined up for connections and is related to some speedy winners in recent years and rounded out the field in the opener.

Winner: STRONG WARRIOR (#1) (Mehmas x Camisole) - O. Orr - R. Fahey

Race Two: The Tony Hepple Memorial Handicap - Class Five - One Mile, Four Furlongs - Runners: 10
Race two would see the first of the long distance races as this twelve furlong contest took place at the bottom of the hill. The race is open to four year olds and older and last year, it would go the way of the ten year old Torcello, who led all the way to beat off his two rivals.

This year's running would see a bigger field than 2024 and it was headed by Detroit Lion, trained by Richard Hannon. The colt has been inconsistent so far for his connections but produced a better effort at Southwell last time when second over this trip.  The five year old Value Added has been fairly disappointing compared to her breeding but to his credit placed over hurdles. Since reverting to the flat for the Micky Hammond stable, the mare has finished tailed off in two starts on the all-weather. The improving sort in the race would be Kevin Ryan's four year old Ribble River. He would show big improvement moved up to this distance towards the end of last season, holding on to win for the second time in a row last time out. The Michael Dods-trained Billy No Mates has finished in the placings in all three starts at Pontefract, including when second in this race last year. He hasn't won for a while, but a return to this venue would suit him. The Harry Eustace-trained Trapper John has raced just once on the turf but that came on heavy ground where he ran poorly. He has yet to show much promise in four starts, but remained open to progress. The five year old Vampire Slayer has been a dual purpose type in recent times for the Darragh Bourke team but finished second on his last two starts on the flat. He remained lightly raced in this disciple to improve further. The popular Ursa Major Racing syndicate would have plenty of support with the eye catching grey Sonning. The seven year old has won three times over hurdles, but is versatile with most jobs. He returned to the flat for trainer Mark Walford having finished fifth over fences when last seen. Tim Easterby would saddle the fairly lightly raced four year old Greenlightforgo. The gelding would seemingly be suited to this test as he finished third over a longer trip at Redcar last season. The Sara Ender stable looked to have an exciting prospect in mid 2023 as Mr Zippi won two bumpers during that year, but he has yet to win since then. Despite being well bred for the job, the six year old's progress has ground to a halt. The consistent filly Letmeseethecolts carried her good form from the all-weather onto the turf by finishing second over a shorter trip at Doncaster just over a week ago. The four year old has been successful at this trip in the past though. 

Winner: LETMESEETHECOLTS (#10) (Ulysses x Full Day) - J. Mason - B. Ellison

Race Three: The Jamaican Flight Handicap - Class Five - Two Miles, Two Furlongs - Runners: 5
The theme of stamina would continue here as Pontefract's longest race distance was used for the first time this year. Races of this nature are well attended as the popular series takes place throughout the year. Completing just over a full lap of the circuit, there is a stiff test with plenty of undulations in the ground. Last year, the race went the way of Justus, who got the better of an exciting three way finish to win for trainer Micky Hammond.

The defending champion returned to put his title on the line here and following his comeback win here, he added another win to his CV shortly after. His latest run in October came after a long break and he was very disappointing here. The multi talented Glory And Honour lined up here for trainer Sam England and owners Ursa Major Racing and won by a big margin over course and distance in October. He then went on to win over fences and would be back on the flat at a venue he clearly likes. Golden Flame would pick his rivals up and carry them at the peak of his form three years ago, but he has regressed recently for the Tom Faulkner yard. The seven year old is well handicapped, but often finds winning hard to come by. The five year old Royal Deeside has yet to win so far, but has gone close on a few occasions and would return to the flat following a couple of runs over hurdles. The Jennie Candlish team is growing with each season and they would be represented by Pigeon House, an improving dual purpose type. The five year old gained plenty of experience over hurdles, but has done well on the level, including a second at Musselburgh in an amateurs handicap last week. Another dual purpose type would be the Robert Bevis-trained six year old Diamond de Vindecy. He has previously shown a liking for softer ground so may not get his conditions here, but won at Haydock last summer over a slightly shorter trip.  The seven year old Bamboo Bay has been around the stables during his career and now resides at Tracey Waggott's yard, but he has made a habit of finishing sixth. He is versatile with trip but was pulled up when last in action over hurdles. 

Winner: DIAMOND DE VINDECY (#6) (Diamond Green x Miss Chic'Vindecy) - J. Hart - R. Bevis

Race Four: The Every Race Live On RacingTV Handicap - Class Two - Five Furlongs - Runners: 10
The feature race of the day would be this class two sprint over the minimum trip of five furlongs. The action would be fast and furious with runners keen to get a prominent position before the uphill run to the line. The recent history of this race reads positively as the popular sprinter Judicial won this in 2017 and in 2023, Live In The Moment began his season by winning this race and going all the way to the top and winning the Group One Nunthorpe at York later in the season. Last year, in differing conditions, the race went to The Bell Conductor for trainer Craig Lidster. The seven year old went on to run well in the Epsom Dash and Wokingham handicaps later in the season. 

The seven year old Dream Composer gave his connections a dream result by winning the Epsom Dash in June, the world's fastest race. He then added another race of this nature over course and distance in August and has established himself at this level for trainer James Evans. The Kevin Ryan-trained Venture Capital enjoyed a good season last year, winning twice in class three level but finishing in the placings in class two races at Ascot and Doncaster in between. Jennie Candlish would give a quick turnaround for Alzahir, who won at Doncaster eight days ago. He would come home in front of a big field over seven furlongs but would need to show pace here now dropping back to five furlongs. TIm Easterby's Manilla Scouse has landed some good races in recent years but he can also be an all-or-nothing type. The six year old returned to Pontefract where he has run well at in the past. Nazron would line up and give his owner a good back up in the race alongside Alzahir. The four year old was consistent last year before getting found out at this level. He then joined the Ivan Furtado stable but finished down the order in both starts for the yard. The eight year old Ventura Express goes very well at this track as Paul Midgley's sprinter has won five times at Pontefract over the years. He would remain in form still with a good second at Newcastle last time on a rare start on the all-weather. Vince l'Amour would make it two from the Great Habton yard of Tim Easterby. He won twice at the start of last year and resumed his winning ways later in the season by winning a big field handicap at York in October. The Mark Usher-trained Fahrenheit Seven progressed rapidly towards the end of last season, winning three times over five and six furlongs. He showed he had further progress in him with a close third at Newcastle recently in a similar contest. The Mick Appleby-trained Intervention is more of an all-weather specialist, but he has won on the turf in the past. Having won over seven furlongs last time out, this would be a sharper test for the eight year old. Richard Fahey would be represented by the talented yet frustrating Brooklyn Nine Nine. The five year old's two wins came on the all-weather but is versatile with handling ground conditions. The field was completed by the returning Wen Moon for the Ben Haslam yard. The five year old is a former winner here and posted one of his better efforts last year with a second in a similar contest in July. Last season he would place six times, so deserved a change of luck.

Winner: FAHRENHEIT SEVEN (#9) (Showcasing x Pizzazz) - C. Beasley - M. Usher

Race Five: The Napoleons Casino Bradford Handicap - Class Three - Six Furlongs - Runners: 9
The quality would continue on the card with this class three contest over six furlongs. The three year old's only contest is usually worth noting for future reference as last year, the Clive Cox-trained James's Delight made a winning reappearance before going on to win a valuable handicap at York and a listed race in France. 

This year's renewal would see the top weight carried by the Richard Fahey-trained Lesley's Boy. He had a good first season by winning twice during the summer. He was last seen finishing third in a blanket finish over seven furlongs at Newcastle and was  gelded over the winter. David O'Meara's Dark Cloud Rising showed benefit of his debut to win next time out but raced too keenly at York when tried in a listed race on his most recent run in October. Richard Hannon is a trainer who is often respected in races like these and he saddled Cayman Tai here. The grey won a race last year, but found himself with seconditis throughout the season. He wasn't disgraced in a competitive handicap at the Ebor Festival when last seen. Warren Greatrex is more used to training staying hurdlers instead of sprinters, but he was represented by Peter The Wolf in this contest. The gelding has shown the potential to win a race with a pair of good efforts in stronger company last season. Tim Easterby often does well at this venue and he saddled Fan Mail, who has improved with each run so far. The gelding won for the first time at Newcastle last month and ran decently against Coul Angel at Southwell. This year's representative for the defending winning trainer Clive Cox would be Middleton View. The son of Bated Breath showed little on the turf, but after a gelding operation he ran much better when second on the all-weather and made his handicap debut here. The filly Scatter Penny looked to be a smart prospect for the Mick and David Easterby stable last summer and made it two wins from two starts over course and distance in July. Her form would tail off however but she had the course experience as an advantage. The Karl Burke-trained Invitorio made a quiet start to his career, but won at the third attempt on his first try on soft ground. He comes from a decent family and was open to any amount of improvement. Another from the Mick and David Easterby yard would be I Need Your Love, who completed the lineup. The gelding responded well to a visor when winning at Redcar and then backed it up with a pair of soft ground third placings towards the end of last season. 

Winner: DARK CLOUD RISING (#2) (Dark Angel x Aristocratic) - D. Tudhope - D. O'Meara

Race Six: The Celebrating The Life Of Cheryl Hibbert Handicap - Class Six - Five Furlongs - Runners: 10
The penultimate race of the card would drop back to the minimum trip for this low grade contest for older horses. 

Heading the weights would be South Shore for the Ruth Carr stable. The gelding began his career with a decent reputation for Roger Varian and then Karl Burke, but managed to win just once. He has shown limited form since, but his new stable often do well with projects like this one. The Pam Sly yard won a race on this card last year and were represented again this year with their homebred mare Torfrida. The five year old ran to a good standard during 2023 with a liking for soft ground, but has raced just twice since then. Ben Haslam often targets winners at this course every meeting and would rely on Wrestling Revenue. The four year old ran well at a similar level at places such as Brighton and Bath last year, but he has been going through the motions on the all-weather earlier this year. Paul Midgley is another trainer who specialises in these races and he would be represented by Herakles. The five year old placed here twelve months ago and is a generally consistent sort on all surfaces. Doddie's Impact is a former Brocklesby Stakes winner and has retained plenty of his natural speed. The four year old won for the first time since his debut at Newcastle in December and continued to run well at the North East venue. Another once smart sort would be King's Crown for the Michael Dods stable. The five year old ended a long losing streak in January at Southwell then added a second win of the year last month. This would be his first start on turf since September last year. The returning Crocodile Power was in great form when last seen by winning three times at Catterick towards the end of the season. Seb Spencer's seven year appears to be suited by unique courses as he made his first start here. The neighbouring yard of Sean and John Quinn would saddle One More Dream, who hasn't run well at this course in the past. The six year old has found his level on the all-weather over the winter but has had less runs on turf in his career. A second runner for the Paul Midgley stable would be Mrs Trump, who lined up here with a low weight. The five year old developed a liking for Redcar last year with a pair of wins and signed off with a good effort to finish third over course and distance in October. The Tim Easterby representative Ifonlytheycudtalk lined up here having developed into a solid sprinter at this level, winning at Beverley two starts ago but only midfield on the all-weather last time out. 

Winner: ONE MORE DREAM (#8) (Bated Breath x Gracefilly) - J. Hart - J & S. Quinn

Race Seven: The Racing TV Sky Channel 424 Handicap - Class Five - One Mile - Runners: 7
The finale of the season opener at Pontefract would be this class five handicap which took place at the bottom of the course and saw runners face a lung bursting constant rise in altitude to the finish. Last year, the race was won by the beautifully bred Wintercrack, trained by Pam Sly. 

This year's edition would be run on quicker ground than twelve months ago as Livio Milo lined up with top weight. The grey landed just one win in Ireland, but has now joined forces with local trainer Sam England for this season. The four year old Yaajooz won a selling race at Thirsk very easily before getting bought by Mick and David Easterby. The gelding disappointed on his only run for new connections last season, but that came over ten furlongs. The nicely bred five year old Partisan Warrior has done well since joining the David Loughnane stable in 2024 and has finished in the first three in all starts for the yard. His consistency was rewarded with a win at Wolverhampton recently. It has been a while since Shaladar last won a race, but the Kevin Ryan-trained six year old ran well on seasonal debut last year and would be hoping to go well fresh once again. Ian Williams has given all sorts of assignments to Finn Russell over the last year, but the five year old has coped well with what is thrown at him. The gelding finished second over hurdles in Ireland as well as Jersey, before closing out 2024 with a win on the flat over nine furlongs. This would be a new test as his first attempt at this unique venue. Connections of Masqool have gotten their money's worth from the Godolphin cast off having won eleven times for trainer James Evans. He bookended the New Year period with a pair of wins on the all-weather and made a very rare start on turf. The Harriett Bethell stable do well with new recruits, so plenty of interest would be around Milteye. The five year old won during his first spell in Britain but spent last year and this year mixing it over hurdles and on the flat, with little success. 

Winner: PARTISAN HERO (#3) (Muhaarar x Mad About You) - R. Kingscote - D. Loughnane