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

5th

11

(10)

5th Oct 2026

Good

1m 0f 6y

Class 5

16:21 Pontefract

Garden Oasis

9st 5lb

J: Jake Dickson

T: Tim Easterby

Veteran; inconsistent this season and needs to bounce back quickly from down-the-field run at Nottingham (1m2f, good) on Thursday but this C&D suits him and he has slipped to a tempting mark; can't be ruled out.

14/1

11th

7

(2)

1st Oct 2026

Good

1m 2f 50y

Class 5

16:18 Nottingham

Garden Oasis

9st 10lb

J: David Allan

T: Tim Easterby

He's well handicapped on his season's best form but this 11yo needs to produce more than he's managed on his last few starts and he hasn't won beyond 1m since 2018.

10/1

5th

10

(3)

17th Sep 2026

Good

1m 0f 6y

Class 4

16:08 Pontefract

Garden Oasis

9st 2lb

J: Duran Fentiman

T: Tim Easterby

Contesting this race for a sixth time and he won it back in 2020; well beaten last year but he's run some good races in defeat this campaign and a long time since this low in the weights.

16/1

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

5th

9

(2)

25th Sep 2026

Standard

1m 0f 5y

Class 6

19:15 Newcastle (AW)

Volenti

8st 11lb

J: Rowan Scott

T: Sam England

Four-time C&D winner; behind a couple of tonight's rivals last Saturday (second run for new yard) but remains very well treated on peak form and can't be ruled out.

7/1

5th

9

(6)

19th Sep 2026

Standard

1m 0f 5y

Class 6

20:30 Newcastle (AW)

Volenti

9st 2lb

J: Olivia Haines

T: Sam England

Multiple C&D winner who has reached the frame on numerous occasions this season but he was a remote third on recent stable debut at Ripon (1m2f); cheekpieces now return but his last win was 20 months ago and he needs to find more back on Tapeta.

6/1

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

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

9th

10

(10)

21st Sep 2026

Good

0m 7f 0y

Class 6

17:17 Leicester

Captain Corelli

9st 7lb

J: Tom Kiely-Marshall

T: Julie Camacho

Struggled in 2025; had a wind op prior to his seasonal return 12 days ago but he finished well beaten at Redcar (1m, good); too much to prove.

33/1

13th

12

(18)

9th Sep 2026

Good

0m 7f 219y

Class 6

16:54 Redcar

Captain Corelli

9st 8lb

J: Tom Kiely-Marshall

T: Julie Camacho

Ended 2024 in fine form, winning four on the bounce, but 2025 was disappointing; returns after a lengthy absence (had wind op in March) and he has plenty to prove in this competitive race.

33/1

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

2nd

2

(6)

5th Oct 2026

Standard

1m 1f 104y

Class 5

19:00 Wolverhampton (AW)

Cosmos Raj

9st 11lb

J: Mark Winn

T: David O’Meara

Cashed in on a reduced mark when a dual 1m/1m2f scorer at Redcar this summer; poorly drawn when well held at Beverley (1m2f) last time and this course winner can bounce back.

12/1

8th

7

(11)

16th Sep 2026

Good

1m 1f 207y

Class 5

14:08 Beverley

Cosmos Raj

9st 5lb

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: David O’Meara

In-form 8yo who has been successful at Redcar (1m2f/1m, good) in two of his last three outings, latest comfortably on Tuesday; looks well treated under 4lb penalty turned out quickly.

9/2

1st

3

(7)

15th Sep 2026

Good

0m 7f 219y

Class 5

14:53 Redcar

Cosmos Raj

9st 10lb

J: Daniel Tudhope

T: David O’Meara

Resumed winning ways over 1m2f here in August and backed it up with a solid fourth of seven in 1m2f Ripon handicap two weeks ago; not out of things with usual cheekpieces refitted.

8/1

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