August 06 / 15.30 Pontefract

15.30

Good

RIU Hotels And Resorts Ladies Day Veterans’ Handicap

  • Prize money: £5234
  • 1m 0f 6y
  • Class 4
  • 7 runners
RTV
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RIU Hotels And Resorts Ladies Day Veterans’ Handicap

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

4/1 (Won)

  • Win: £4.34
  • Place: £1.80

Form: -41165 CD

Last run: 18 days

W: 9st 11lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 80

Form & Verdict
Front-runner; the veteran of 13 wins, seven at Ripon where he's seen most often (he's 1-9 here); two wins this spring and ran respectably on latest start, so he has to be considered.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

1

(8)

1st Sep 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 5

16:48 Ripon

Garden Oasis

10st 0lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

A seven-time C&D scorer; arrives in good nick, posting a solid third of ten over C&D 17 days ago; a likely player again eased 1lb.

9/2

3rd

9

(9)

15th Aug 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 4

15:55 Ripon

Garden Oasis

9st 2lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

Prolific winning veteran, including in this race in 2021 and 2022 (fourth to Capital Guarantee last year); went close to another C&D success last month and fair third at Pontefract (1m, good to firm) since.

11/1

3rd

3

(3)

5th Aug 2026

Good To Firm

1m 0f 6y

Class 5

15:45 Pontefract

Garden Oasis

9st 6lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

Prolific winning veteran, mostly over 1m on a sound surface; most recent success came in this race last year, when 8lb higher; supported when a close second at Ripon latest start; respected.

Evs

14/1

  • Place: £3.70

Form: -80830

Last run: 39 days

W: 8st 12lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 67

Form & Verdict
Won two in a row on AW late last year; underperforming this year (May-June) sees him 7lb lower today than on reappearance, but his only turf win (19 attempts) was on debut in 2022.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

3

(3)

25th Jun 2026

Good To Firm

0m 7f 0y

Class 6

18:45 Leicester

Bass Player

9st 8lb

J: William Pyle

T: Kevin & Lauren Frost

Not yet a year since he almost defied 8lb higher on quick turf (1m); mixed bag since, and hard to find any benefit from a third wind operation in the winter, but he's too well treated not to bear in mind at least.

16/1

5th

7

(5)

31st May 2026

Good

1m 0f 75y

Class 5

17:25 Nottingham

Bass Player

8st 9lb

J: William Pyle

T: Kevin & Lauren Frost

Ended 2025 with two good runs but he has been well short of that level in two runs this year, a wind op before the latest making no difference; tongue tie returns; risky despite his reduced mark.

20/1

11th

9

(8)

8th May 2026

Good To Soft

1m 1f 170y

Class 5

19:45 Ripon

Bass Player

8st 11lb

J: William Pyle

T: Kevin Frost

First win was on turf (7f) and last two have been on Tapeta (8.6f); reached the frame in two starts at Wolverhampton in December but he had a major blip there the following month; had another wind operation since and needs a major revival after four months off.

12/1

OUR TIP

Form: 323145 D

Last run: 12 days

W: 9st 8lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 77

Form & Verdict
Admirable veteran who's an infrequent winner these days and this season's win came in a seller; he's rarely been far away this term, however.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

(3)

27th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 1f 104y

Class 5

20:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Orbaan

9st 12lb

J: Sean Levey

T: David O’Meara

Veteran who dipped into a seller for his latest win, at Beverley (8.4f, good to firm) in July; current handicap mark is workable but his AW strike-rate is 0-13 and he needs to rebound from two down-the-field runs.

16/1

2

(3)

27th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 1f 104y

Class 5

20:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Orbaan

9st 12lb

J: Sean Levey

T: David O’Meara

Veteran who dipped into a seller for his latest win, at Beverley (8.4f, good to firm) in July; current handicap mark is workable but his AW strike-rate is 0-13 and he needs to rebound from two down-the-field runs.

16/1

6

(11)

14th Oct 2025

Standard

1m 0f 1y

Class 4

16:00 Lingfield (AW)

Orbaan

9st 9lb

J: J F Egan

T: David O’Meara

Veteran who won a Beverley seller in July; some fair handicap runs since but others may have his measure back on AW (0-12 in this sphere).

12/1

7/1

Form: 259225 D

Last run: 30 days

W: 8st 12lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 67

Form & Verdict
A Newcastle (AW) success story for this yard but he was also runner-up on turf on consecutive starts this summer (Ripon and C&D); latest outing did not go so well (at Ripon) and he needs to bounce back from that.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

6

(1)

31st Aug 2026

Good

1m 1f 170y

Class 6

16:45 Ripon

Volenti

9st 9lb

J: Oisin Orr

T: Sam England

Losing run is mounting up but he's currently in a consistent vein of form; moved out of Ben Haslam's yard since last run; again has frame possibilities.

7/1

3rd

5

(1)

19th Jul 2026

Good To Firm

1m 1f 0y

Class 6

17:17 Redcar

Volenti

9st 3lb

J: Andrew Mullen

T: Ben Haslam

Arrives in decent nick without winning, fourth of nine in 1m handicap at Ripon 13 days ago; it's now 20 runs since his last victory however.

13/2

4th

9

(4)

6th Jul 2026

Good

1m 0f 0y

Class 5

19:09 Ripon

Volenti

8st 4lb

J: Cam Hardie

T: Ben Haslam

In reasonably good form having made the frame in last three starts; however, still has a better strike-rate on Newcastle AW than on turf and this is a step back up in grade; 2lb out of weights.

10/1

Form: 11-696 CD

Last run: 19 days

W: 8st 9lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 64

Form & Verdict
Seven-time turf winner, including of his final four starts last season (7.4f-1m in August/September); took a step back towards that form on latest run but another is needed, still 4lb above his last winning mark.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

8/1

Form: 625386 D

Last run: 27 days

W: 8st 11lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 66

Form & Verdict
Two wins on AW but 0-17 on turf; second and third over C&D in the spring off slightly higher marks than this, before lesser efforts elsewhere on last two outings; well treated if back on song.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

(4)

23rd Aug 2025

Good To Firm

1m 2f 1y

Class 5

17:30 Redcar

Paris Lights

10st 1lb

J: David Nolan

T: Paul Midgley

Both wins on AW and 0-18 on turf; a couple of Pontefract runs this spring that bring him into the reckoning and this is effectively his first run at this level since winning at Newcastle in December; should run his race.

7/2

6th

7

(2)

6th Aug 2025

Good

1m 0f 6y

Class 4

15:30 Pontefract

Paris Lights

8st 11lb

J: Jason Hart

T: Paul Midgley

Two wins on AW but 0-17 on turf; second and third over C&D in the spring off slightly higher marks than this, before lesser efforts elsewhere on last two outings; well treated if back on song.

8/1

6th

2

(7)

10th Jul 2025

Good To Soft

0m 7f 213y

Class 5

17:30 Doncaster

Paris Lights

10st 0lb

J: David Nolan

T: Paul Midgley

Two wins on AW but 0-16 on turf; twice placed at Pontefract this season but he needs to rebound from a lacklustre effort at Ripon (1m2f, good) three weeks ago.

16/1

Form: 125210 D

Last run: 11 days

W: 9st 10lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Usually held up; won twice in May and at Ripon (under Cian Horgan) in July on penultimate start; form dipped 11 days ago on latest but in a much more competitive race at York; likely to bounce back with a solid run.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

7

(1)

1st Sep 2026

Good

1m 1f 170y

Class 5

14:10 Ripon

Cosmos Raj

9st 7lb

J: Conor Whiteley

T: David O’Meara

10-50 turf; made all, clinging on, at Redcar (1m2f, good; 20-1) ten days ago; 3lb higher, but with 3lb claimer Conor Whiteley taking over in the saddle; is better known as a miler, so stamina could be the thorny issue, especially if more rain arrives.

7/2

1st

3

(3)

22nd Aug 2026

Good

1m 2f 1y

Class 5

18:30 Redcar

Cosmos Raj

9st 9lb

J: Billy Garritty

T: David O’Meara

A three-time 1m winner in 2025 but yet to hit top form this season, finishing just fourth of six in 1m Pontefract handicap 17 days ago; on a falling mark but more is required.

10/1

4th

5

(2)

5th Aug 2026

Good To Firm

1m 0f 6y

Class 5

15:45 Pontefract

Cosmos Raj

8st 13lb

J: Conor Whiteley

T: David O’Meara

Multiple winner over 1m-1m2f; versatile regarding going; 12lb lower than his most recent win at Ripon 13 months ago; plenty to prove based on five of his six starts this season.

10/1

Non-runners

Distinction

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £28.70
Straight Forecast £27.47
Tricast £71.13
Trifecta £89.00

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Cosmos Raj

D Express:

Captain Corelli

Daily Mail:

Garden Oasis

The Times:

Volenti

Telegraph:

Paris Lights

The Guardian:

Distinction

Daily Mirror:

Orbaan

RP RATINGS:

Cosmos Raj

TOPSPEED:

Cosmos Raj

POSTDATA:

Cosmos Raj

The Sun:

Cosmos Raj

The Star:

Captain Corelli

Daily Record:

Garden Oasis