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Racecourse statistics

Pontefract racecourse statistics

Every runner at Pontefract in our archive since March 2005: who wins here, how favourites fare, the biggest-priced winners, the draw and the angles that have paid at SP.

Figures as at 20 Oct 2026, 12:43 · last meeting in our archive 19 Oct 2026

Covers 29 March 2005 – 20 October 2026

2,368races · 341 meetings
21,566runners · 13,905 horses
32.2%favourites won · 839 of 2,604Last 12 months: 41.3% (59 of 143)
125/1biggest-priced winner · Lord Warburton (IRE)

In brief

as at 20 Oct 2026

Pontefract has staged 2,368 races over 341 meetings in our archive since March 2005, with 21,566 runners.

Favourites have won 32.2% of their runs here (839 from 2,604), a level-stakes P/L of −95.22 points to a £1 stake at SP.

Richard Fahey has the most winners here (144 from 999 runners, 14.4%). Among yards with 30 or more runners, Charlie Appleby has the best win rate: 37.0% (17 from 46).

Silvestre De Sousa has the most winners here (91 from 447 rides, 20.4%). Among riders with 30 or more rides, Richard Hills has the best win rate: 29.2% (19 from 65).

Over 1m – 1m1f in Flat races of 8 or more runners, the lowest third of the stalls has won 13.9% of its runs (1,154) and the highest third 6.7% (1,624).

1 angle here made a level-stakes profit at SP in both periods we test, on 100 or more runs.

Favourites and the market

by starting-price rank

Favourites have won 32.2% of their runs here (839 from 2,604), a level-stakes P/L of −95.22 points to a £1 stake at SP.

Position in the bettingRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
FavouriteRuns 2,604Won 839Win 32.2%£1 −95.22A/E 1.09
2nd–3rd in the bettingRuns 4,825Won 750Win 15.5%£1 −826.14A/E 0.95
4th–6th in the bettingRuns 6,762Won 566Win 8.4%£1 −915.50A/E 1.03
7th or biggerRuns 7,375Won 218Win 3.0%£1 −2,388.50A/E 0.84

Favourites by going

GoingRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
FirmRuns 30Won 9Win 30.0%£1 −0.82A/E 1.12
Good to FirmRuns 1,039Won 353Win 34.0%£1 −49.35A/E 1.10
GoodRuns 820Won 248Win 30.2%£1 −71.97A/E 1.04
Good to SoftRuns 337Won 107Win 31.8%£1 −1.26A/E 1.12
SoftRuns 313Won 107Win 34.2%£1 +29.94A/E 1.16
HeavyRuns 65Won 15Win 23.1%£1 −1.76A/E 0.87

Favourites include joint favourites. Dimmed rows have fewer than 30 runs. Fair A/E compares wins with a margin-stripped market expectation at SP. Favourite-heavy samples naturally read a few points warm, so 1.05 means "beat the margin-free market read", not "the market underrates this by 5%". £1 P/L is level stakes at SP.

Trainers

since 2005

Richard Fahey has the most winners here (144 from 999 runners, 14.4%). Among yards with 30 or more runners, Charlie Appleby has the best win rate: 37.0% (17 from 46).

Most winners

TrainerRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Richard FaheyRuns 999Won 144Win 14.4%£1 +0.59A/E 1.14
Tim EasterbyRuns 1,061Won 108Win 10.2%£1 −287.22A/E 1.01
Mark JohnstonRuns 677Won 103Win 15.2%£1 −201.27A/E 0.93
Kevin RyanRuns 517Won 64Win 12.4%£1 −65.69A/E 1.04
David O'MearaRuns 463Won 58Win 12.5%£1 −119.45A/E 0.96
Paul MidgleyRuns 520Won 57Win 11.0%£1 +18.33A/E 1.13
K R BurkeRuns 311Won 47Win 15.1%£1 −76.01A/E 1.04
William HaggasRuns 184Won 44Win 23.9%£1 −30.64A/E 1.00
Michael DodsRuns 450Won 43Win 9.6%£1 −70.76A/E 0.89
Sir Michael StouteRuns 162Won 42Win 25.9%£1 −15.38A/E 0.98

Ordered by winners here; a tie goes to the fewer runners.

Best win %

TrainerRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Charlie ApplebyRuns 46Won 17Win 37.0%£1 +2.25A/E 1.21
Ralph BeckettRuns 119Won 37Win 31.1%£1 +6.51A/E 1.30
Michael JarvisRuns 65Won 20Win 30.8%£1 +3.58A/E 1.25
George BougheyRuns 50Won 15Win 30.0%£1 +21.53A/E 1.26
Simon & Ed CrisfordRuns 30Won 9Win 30.0%£1 +15.83A/E 1.54
Sir Michael StouteRuns 162Won 42Win 25.9%£1 −15.38A/E 0.98
Saeed bin SuroorRuns 110Won 28Win 25.5%£1 −14.52A/E 1.07
William HaggasRuns 184Won 44Win 23.9%£1 −30.64A/E 1.00
Roger CharltonRuns 34Won 8Win 23.5%£1 −4.64A/E 1.06
Luca CumaniRuns 64Won 15Win 23.4%£1 −4.22A/E 0.93

Ordered by win rate, among those with 30 or more runners here; a tie goes to the bigger sample.

Beat the market

TrainerRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Tim WalfordRuns 58Won 11Win 19.0%£1 +27.75A/E 2.08
Craig LidsterRuns 51Won 9Win 17.6%£1 +103.75A/E 2.05
Neville BycroftRuns 54Won 6Win 11.1%£1 +37.50A/E 1.96
James GivenRuns 163Won 22Win 13.5%£1 +55.55A/E 1.66
D W BarkerRuns 70Won 9Win 12.9%£1 −6.37A/E 1.52
Ed DunlopRuns 107Won 25Win 23.4%£1 +57.31A/E 1.51
Alan McCabeRuns 103Won 14Win 13.6%£1 +16.48A/E 1.51
Scott DixonRuns 72Won 8Win 11.1%£1 +35.50A/E 1.47
Ivan FurtadoRuns 80Won 11Win 13.8%£1 +0.25A/E 1.38
Richard WhitakerRuns 228Won 26Win 11.4%£1 −39.42A/E 1.38

Ordered by fair A/E, among those with 50 or more runners at a fair price here: above 1.00, their winners came at bigger prices than the margin-free market expected.

£1 P/L is level stakes at SP. Dimmed rows have fewer than 30 runners.

Jockeys

since 2005

Silvestre De Sousa has the most winners here (91 from 447 rides, 20.4%). Among riders with 30 or more rides, Richard Hills has the best win rate: 29.2% (19 from 65).

Most winners

JockeyRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Silvestre De SousaRuns 447Won 91Win 20.4%£1 +1.19A/E 1.26
Daniel TudhopeRuns 549Won 87Win 15.8%£1 −177.44A/E 1.00
Paul HanaganRuns 610Won 84Win 13.8%£1 −50.68A/E 1.05
David AllanRuns 676Won 75Win 11.1%£1 −114.42A/E 1.03
Graham LeeRuns 471Won 53Win 11.3%£1 −3.07A/E 1.02
Jason HartRuns 413Won 51Win 12.3%£1 +29.93A/E 1.07
Paul MulrennanRuns 552Won 51Win 9.2%£1 −89.35A/E 0.99
Ben CurtisRuns 266Won 50Win 18.8%£1 +14.07A/E 1.36
Joe FanningRuns 419Won 50Win 11.9%£1 −82.50A/E 0.99
Franny NortonRuns 314Won 49Win 15.6%£1 −7.88A/E 1.26

Ordered by winners here; a tie goes to the fewer rides.

Best win %

JockeyRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Richard HillsRuns 65Won 19Win 29.2%£1 −1.55A/E 1.17
Cieren FallonRuns 31Won 9Win 29.0%£1 +16.75A/E 1.39
Ryan MooreRuns 94Won 26Win 27.7%£1 −12.49A/E 0.97
William BuickRuns 101Won 26Win 25.7%£1 −17.56A/E 1.10
Hollie DoyleRuns 68Won 17Win 25.0%£1 +13.35A/E 1.51
Rossa RyanRuns 78Won 19Win 24.4%£1 +17.22A/E 1.17
Billy LoughnaneRuns 36Won 8Win 22.2%£1 +25.00A/E 1.34
James DoyleRuns 61Won 13Win 21.3%£1 −7.13A/E 1.06
Hector CrouchRuns 33Won 7Win 21.2%£1 −9.81A/E 0.96
Jimmy FortuneRuns 78Won 16Win 20.5%£1 +21.09A/E 1.33

Ordered by win rate, among those with 30 or more rides here; a tie goes to the bigger sample.

Beat the market

JockeyRunsWonWin %£1 P/LFair A/E
Sean KirraneRuns 67Won 12Win 17.9%£1 +42.00A/E 1.86
Kelly HarrisonRuns 50Won 4Win 8.0%£1 +119.00A/E 1.73
Jimmy QuinnRuns 117Won 15Win 12.8%£1 +45.23A/E 1.59
Fergal LynchRuns 51Won 8Win 15.7%£1 +12.12A/E 1.51
Hollie DoyleRuns 68Won 17Win 25.0%£1 +13.35A/E 1.51
Frederik TylickiRuns 102Won 17Win 16.7%£1 +17.26A/E 1.49
Harrison ShawRuns 78Won 8Win 10.3%£1 +11.75A/E 1.42
Ben CurtisRuns 266Won 50Win 18.8%£1 +14.07A/E 1.36
Darryll HollandRuns 73Won 11Win 15.1%£1 +16.50A/E 1.33
Jimmy FortuneRuns 78Won 16Win 20.5%£1 +21.09A/E 1.33

Ordered by fair A/E, among those with 50 or more rides at a fair price here: above 1.00, their winners came at bigger prices than the margin-free market expected.

£1 P/L is level stakes at SP. Dimmed rows have fewer than 30 rides.

Course specialists

3+ wins here

Mr Wolf (GB) has won here 8 times from 36 runs, more than any other horse since March 2005.

Biggest-priced winners

at starting price

The biggest-priced winner here since March 2005 was Lord Warburton (IRE) at 125/1 on 10 June 2024.

The draw

Flat, 8+ runners

Over 1m – 1m1f in Flat races of 8 or more runners, the lowest third of the stalls has won 13.9% of its runs (1,154) and the highest third 6.7% (1,624).

Under 6f

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 711Won 75Win 10.5%Place 35.7%A/E 0.93
Middle thirdRuns 795Won 78Win 9.8%Place 26.8%A/E 1.04
High thirdRuns 1,036Won 85Win 8.2%Place 25.0%A/E 1.03

6f – 7f

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 1,507Won 169Win 11.2%Place 34.4%A/E 1.03
Middle thirdRuns 1,699Won 171Win 10.1%Place 27.8%A/E 1.03
High thirdRuns 2,167Won 163Win 7.5%Place 24.4%A/E 0.95

1m – 1m1f

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 1,154Won 160Win 13.9%Place 38.0%A/E 1.22
Middle thirdRuns 1,289Won 105Win 8.1%Place 28.2%A/E 0.90
High thirdRuns 1,624Won 108Win 6.7%Place 21.2%A/E 0.87

1m2f – 1m4f

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 1,106Won 139Win 12.6%Place 36.4%A/E 1.11
Middle thirdRuns 1,283Won 137Win 10.7%Place 30.6%A/E 1.08
High thirdRuns 1,592Won 106Win 6.7%Place 23.0%A/E 0.82

2m1f – 2m4f

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 262Won 26Win 9.9%Place 34.4%A/E 0.88
Middle thirdRuns 287Won 40Win 13.9%Place 26.5%A/E 1.52
High thirdRuns 387Won 22Win 5.7%Place 25.6%A/E 0.69

2m5f – 3m

StallsRunsWonWin %Place %Fair A/E
Low thirdRuns 51Won 6Win 11.8%Place 33.3%A/E 1.12
Middle thirdRuns 57Won 3Win 5.3%Place 24.6%A/E 0.52
High thirdRuns 66Won 8Win 12.1%Place 30.3%A/E 1.36

Stall number as a share of the field: low is the lowest third of the stalls. Flat races with 8 or more runners. Fair A/E near 1.00 means the market had already priced the draw in.

Angles that have paid

at SP, two periods

Past results at starting price, not a forecast. Each angle made a £1 level-stakes profit in both periods (Jan 2005 – Sep 2021, and since Oct 2021), with at least 100 SP-priced runs and 10 winners in all, and is still in profit with its single biggest winner taken out. The same on every view of this page.

  • Runners trained by Ed Dunlop+53.6% ROI · +57.31 pts from 107 runs · 25 winners (23.4%)Jan 2005 – Sep 2021: +68.0% on 61 · Since Oct 2021: +34.4% on 46 · without the biggest winner (25/1): +31.31 pts

Quick answers

How do favourites do at Pontefract?

Favourites (joint favourites included) have won 839 of 2,604 runs at Pontefract since March 2005 — 32.2%, a £1 level-stakes P/L of −95.22 points at SP (as at 20 Oct 2026).

Which trainer has the most winners at Pontefract?

Richard Fahey, with 144 winners from 999 runners (14.4%) since March 2005.

Which jockey has ridden the most winners at Pontefract?

Silvestre De Sousa, with 91 winners from 447 rides (20.4%) since March 2005.

Which trainer has the best strike rate at Pontefract?

Among yards with 30 or more runners here since March 2005, Charlie Appleby has the best win rate: 37.0% (17 from 46).

Which jockey has the best strike rate at Pontefract?

Among riders with 30 or more rides here since March 2005, Richard Hills has the best win rate: 29.2% (19 from 65).

Which horses have won most at Pontefract?

The leading course winners since March 2005: Mr Wolf (GB) (8 from 36), Round The Island (GB) (7 from 31), Mr Orange (IRE) (7 from 39).

What is the biggest-priced winner at Pontefract?

Lord Warburton (IRE) at 125/1 on 10 June 2024 in the Bill Carrigill Memorial Handicap — the biggest starting price among Pontefract winners since March 2005.

Is there a draw bias at Pontefract?

Over 1m – 1m1f in Flat races of 8 or more runners since March 2005, runners drawn in the lowest third of the stalls have won 160 of 1,154 runs (13.9%) and those in the highest third 108 of 1,624 (6.7%). Fair A/E 1.22 low against 0.87 high says how much of that the market had already priced.

About Pontefract

checked October 2026

Layout and key facts

  • Where: Pontefract, West Yorkshire, close to the M62 — Flat only, turf.
  • Shape: Left-handed, about 2m round — one of the longest circuits in Britain — undulating, with no straight course and an uphill home straight of nearly 3f.

Going and the seasons

  • Summer: Good or good to firm is usual, with watering.
  • Spring and autumn: The April and October fixtures often race on good to soft or soft ground.

Signature races and fixtures

  • Listed races: The Pontefract Castle Stakes (1m4f) in June and the Silver Tankard Stakes (1m, two-year-olds) in October.
  • Staying handicaps: A series of staying handicaps runs through the season, including races over 2m2f.

Practical notes

  • Getting there: Off the M62 (junction 32) with parking on site; by rail to Pontefract Monkhill or Tanshelf and a short walk.
  • Viewing: The stands look down the long uphill finish, with the back of the course on the big screens.

These notes are written and checked by KTB (last checked October 2026); the statistics above are computed from our results archive. Check the course's own site for fixtures, going and travel before you go.