Pontefract, Friday 22 May 2026 — Tips & Selections

Pontefract, Friday 22 May 2026 — Tips & Selections

A six-race Friday evening card at Pontefract on good to soft ground. Partly cloudy overhead, the going riding genuinely testing enough to suit horses with a proven stamina profile. Three races to get stuck into below, with one standout bet on the card.

6:20 — Book For Fathers Day Sunday 21st June Maiden Stakes (6f, 3yo)

Selection: Naval Light — 5/6 Boyle Sports / Betfred

Karl Burke’s gelding has been frustrating to follow, that much is true. But strip out the headgear experiments and look at the raw numbers: an RPR of 94 in a field where the next best is 83, and that figure came in a Newmarket handicap, not a sellers-level maiden. He drops to a race that is firmly within his grasp. The draw in stall two is ideal for a six-furlong dash at Pontefract, and Jack Nicholls claims five pounds. Burke has been in decent form across the yard over the past fortnight at six winners from 44 runners, and Naval Light is comfortably the classiest horse in this field on any read of the form book.

Stoneacre Joe ran well twice this spring but got well beaten at Haydock on soft ground last Thursday. That matters here. Viper Each-Way at 15/2 with Boyle Sports is worth a small saver: he confirmed debut promise at Newcastle over seven furlongs three weeks ago and the step back to six shouldn’t be an issue given his style of racing. Third at three places, 1/5 odds gives you a decent safety net at that price.

6:52 — Juddmonte EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes (6f, 2yo)

Selection: Too Many Spirits — 7/4 Boyle Sports / Betfred

This is the horse who sets the standard and deserves to go off favourite. His Thirsk debut was forgettable but that was always going to be greenness, and when he returned here over five furlongs last month on good ground, he kept on well once he settled into his stride. The step to six furlongs looks exactly what he needs: he was keeping on at the finish over the shorter trip, not fading. Paul Mulrennan takes the ride, he knows this track inside out, and with an RPR of 84 in a field where several are unraced or have single modest runs behind them, the form superiority is clear.

Green Sovereign at 13/2 is an interesting alternative play for those wanting a longer price. Harry Eustace’s colt showed genuine promise on the Kempton all-weather debut and a move to turf on good to soft shouldn’t inconvenience him. Stall two is a perfectly workable draw. If you want to be onside at the main selection’s price and take a small saver on the Eustace colt each-way, that is a logical approach in what is a genuinely open two-year-old heat.

7:52 — Thank You Alexia And Good Luck Handicap (2m1f)

Selection: Trojan Soldier — 9/4 Betfred / 2/1 LiveScore Bet

Jedd O’Keeffe’s four-year-old is bang in form. He got off the mark at Southwell over a mile and six last month then followed up at Ripon on Sunday over two miles on good ground. Crucially, he escapes a penalty for Sunday’s win, so he goes into this race on the same mark that just won. The cheekpieces have clearly transformed him, he’s travelling better and finishing properly, and today’s step up to two miles and one furlongs should be exactly what his pedigree and racing style demand.

The only genuine question is whether the good to soft ground suits, and the Spotlight assessment acknowledges he might prefer it a shade drier. That is a minor caveat, not a disqualifier. Action Pact at 4/1 is an interesting each-way alternative: he won over two miles and two furlongs here at Pontefract last October on soft ground, so he clearly acts on the track and in the conditions. His last run at Nottingham on extreme ground can be dismissed. But Trojan Soldier’s momentum makes him the play.

Today’s NAP