PONTEFRACT HORSE RACING SYSTEM -- 2017 TURF SEASON -- PART TWELVE

PONTEFRACT SEASON 2017
Sunday 20th August
Welcome to this our twelfth meeting racing in Yorkshire.




Our twelfth meeting for 2017 we arrive on the back of a successful day last time out where our overall loss was reduced a bit but not entirely wiped out. We move into the next Sunday meeting on a loss of -9.135 points for the season. Having passed the halfway point for the season now but there is plenty more to come we will look forward to getting underway on Sunday afternoon with the first race off about 2:15pm.

The highlight of our final Family Day of 2017 is the £55,000 Highfield Farm Flying Fillies Listed race (run at 4pm) and you’ll be seeing some very speedy equine ladies. Mehronissa was stunning in 2016 - who will follow in her hoof-prints?

As always we count ALL results for this meeting returned to a level stake at SP, and will also show any forecast results too in the daily results but these do not count for the profit / loss figures.

The forecast going is currently reported as 'Good, Good to firm in places' the weather for Sunday is for a rather cloudy day and possibility of some rain showers during the afternoon with a forecast maximum temperature around 19C.

Here are our selections for the 8 races on Sunday afternoon, remember it's a very simple selection process of stalls 1 and 2 in every race;


2:15 5f 3yds Novice Stakes (2yo).
(1) -- VISCOUNT LOFTUS  [WON 6/4F].
(2) -- AWSAAF  [4th 4/1].

2:50 1m 4f 5yds Handicap.
(1) -- THEOS LOLLY  [5th 8/1].
(2) -- AIRTON  [3rd 14/1].

3:25 2m 1f 27yds Handicap.
(1) -- MCVICAR  [3rd 7/1].
(2) -- ALMOST GEMINI  [2nd 5/1].

4:00 6f Fillies Listed Stakes.
(1) -- EXCELLENT SOUNDS  [6th 33/1].
(2) -- QUEEN KINDLY  [WON 7/4F].

4:35 1m 6yds Handicap (3yo).
(1) -- ISABELLA  [WON 85/40F].
(2) -- EAGLE CREEK  [2nd 9/4].

5:10 1m 6yds Maiden.
(1) -- LUDORUM  [4th 20/1].
(2) -- GLASSY WATERS  [WON Evens].

5:40 6f Handicap (Div 1).
(1) -- SANDRA'S SECRET  [WON 7/2].
(2) -- AVENUE OF STARS  [4th 8/1].

6:10 6f Handicap (Div 2).
(1) -- PENNY POT LANE  [2nd 4/1].
(2) -- MR ORANGE  [5th 7/4F].


Staked -- 16 points.
Returns -- 14.875 points. [Lost 1.125 today].
(5 winners so far, but still behind incredibly)

Results for this afternoon's meeting will be updated later. As we seek to clear our current loss for the season from it's current value of -9.135 to bring forward to next meeting.

So despite the 5 winners today our loss increased to -10.26.

Our next meeting will be held on Thursday 21st September.

Hope you can keep following us throughout the season.

KEMPTON PARK RACES 2017 -- WEDNESDAY NIGHTS #20 16th AUGUST

Welcome to our twentieth meeting of 2017 here at Kempton Park and after a losing week last time out we have passed our midway point of the year down by the sum of -15.625 points to level stakes at SP. Given that we'd usually take prices and William Hill offer best odds guaranteed I think we'd be a bit better off than we are with the number of winners that we pick up since January. We shall see how the final part of the year goes now.

As always our focus will be on the handicap contests for each meeting but will occasionally include a feature listed or conditions event too. Keeping records of our endeavours to a 1pt level stake at SP, naturally we will personally be looking to get better odds but for the purpose of these results we record to SP.

We will keep up with our occasional lay opportunities of short priced favourites too, managed to lay another odds on shot last week and a repeat of that effort would be good to keep those figures high. As always we will keep these results separately from the handicap figures. 

This Wednesday is our twentieth meeting for 2017 and we are expecting a seven race card tonight with three handicaps plus the two nurseries for 2yo's so we will have a lot to keep us busy tonight. This evenings action will commence at 18:10 with a 7f Nursery event for 2yo's only. 

Here's a link to this Wednesday's race card; EVENING RACECARD

The going on the polytrack surface is described as 'standard to slow' and the current weather forecast is for plenty of cloud and a good chance of some showers perhaps. A max temperature of about 21C when the meeting gets underway.

Here are our selections for this evenings three handicaps and two nursery races tonight;

18:10 -- 7f Nursery Handicap (2yo).
13 2yo's declared for the opening contest, a nursery event, the maiden form shown by most of these doesn't amount to much although GLOBAL EXCEED [6th 6/4F] could be worth chancing with plenty of experience in the bank. 

Richard Hannon tends to have some decent youngsters too and although SHOYD [2nd 12/1] hasn't found too much in maidens should be bit more forward in this sort of company of this mark too.

19:10 -- 6f Nursery Handicap (2yo).
Another 2yo event although better class hence only the small field of 6 runners declared. The well bred SHAHEEN [3rd 10/3] could be the option here, none of these has had much racing so far and this one together with CAMEO STAR [4th 14/1] could be the ones to be on against the field.

20:10 -- 1m Handicap (London Mile Series Qualifier).
Dozen declared for the next round in this series, another chance given to MUDALLEL [WON 10/3F] who was 4th for us last week, along with top weight MUSIC LESSON [9th 6/1] who has been placed here in maiden company and gone close at Goodwood and Chelmsford too this season. 

20:40 -- 7f Handicap.

Plenty in here with chances, but fancy a pair of 3yo's against the field, PLANT POT POWER [5th 7/1] is already a course and distance winner and should be right up there, along with ENVISIGING [3rd 7/1] who will have Silvestre De Sousa in control too.

21:10 -- 1m 3f 219y Handicap.

A max field of 14 here for the finale, the wide draw is a bit worrying but both TUOLUMNE MEADOWS [4th 6/1] and ZAMADANCE [6th 6/1] are selected against the field in this tricky contest.

It's also worth having another look at the market with WOLFCATCHERJACK [WON 9/4F] as his trainer Sir Mark Prescott is a master of handicapping his inmates with a low mark for 3 maiden runs and now up in trip and into handicap with this low rating could be a fly in the ointment. We will see what the market says, well it spoke volumes and expect this to run again soon under a penalty.

Staked -- 11 points.

Returns -- 7.58 points.

Results will appear later tonight. Currently we have a deficit of -15.625 points that we bring forward to this round of racing. Lost 3.42 points tonight sadly even with the two winners, so our loss grows a little bit more to -19.045 .

LAYS -- We now stand at 9 from 13 successful lays after another odds on favourite was beaten last week.

19:40 7f Maiden - FIRST DANCE [WON Evens. Damn].
Has to do more to beat the likes of NATHEER here and opposed.

Our next meeting here at Kempton Park on Wednesday 23rd August.

AFC WIMBLEDON vs SHREWSBURY FC -- DONS FIRST HOME LEAGUE ONE FIXTURE 2017-18 SEASON

This weekend AFC Wimbledon host Shrewsbury Town at Kingsmeadow in League One. It's our first home League fixture of this season and comes after a decent 1-1 draw away at Scunthorpe last weekend as well as the league cup defeat in extra time against Championship opponents Brentford on Tuesday. The new signings seem to have come together very quickly with the rest of the squad and I hope we will see a more entertaining Dons this season. 

Early days though but there are plenty of points to be earned in the first month or two, I would wait till 10 games before considering if we can make a challenge or just settle for more consolidation while the new Plough Lane Stadium is being built. 

We shall update on Saturday before kick off with the confirmed starting XI for both sides and any further news as it comes available.

Line Ups (Confirmed);

  AFC WIMBLEDON 
  Odds -- Evens (William Hill) 

Long (Gk),  Fuller (c),  Oshilaja,  Robinson,  Kennedy,  Francomb,  Abdou,  Parrett,  Appiah,  McDonald,  Barcham

Subs – McDonnell (Gk),  Nightingale,  Egan,  Sibbick,  Kaja,  Hartigan,  Taylor

SHREWSBURY
Odds -- 3/1 (William Hill) 

Henderson (GK),  Bolton,  Nsiala,  Sadler,  Brown,  Whalley,  Ogogo (c),  Nolan,  Rodman,  Dodds,  Morris

  

Subs – MacGillivray (Gk),  Shielis,  Gnahoua,  John-Lewis,  Adams,  Jules,  Ennis



H/T Score – 0 - 1.

First Half Comment;
A rubbish first half, on this basis think both sides going to struggle this season but it's early days. Shrewsbury took the lead around the 8 minute mark with a header from Alex Rodman which beat keeper Long, although our keeper has made a few saves keeping us in the match. Lyle Taylor comes on at half time and hopefully fit and hungry enough to make a difference.

F/T Score – 0 - 1.

Match Summary;
A disappointing start at home for the Dons, losing to an early strike and not really have that many shots on target either. It's early in the season no need to panic, but hoofing long balls to Lyle Taylor isn't going to be pretty nor effective, unless we plan to resign the Beast. If we going to continue with three up front the supply needs to be much better.

My Man of the Match – George Long, kept the Dons in the match at times and the scoreline would have been all over by half time in honesty. Not much he could do about the goal, the defence should have dealt with that.

Referee -- Our Referee for this fixture will be Charles Breakspear from Surrey, he also took charge of our opening game last season (a 3-1 defeat by Walsall, no repeat please) and seems a little card happy with 5 yellows shown in each of his first two games this season already. He has plenty of experience and taken charge of Championship as well as League one fixtures in the recent years, plus I haven't heard of him so he can't be that bad (Darren Deadman / Keith Stroud please take note)

Attendance – 3,981.

Next match:
vs FLEETWOOD TOWN (Away) -- Saturday 19th August.