Andrew Asquith returns with his usual Sunday column and has a strong fancy at Pontefract.
Sunday View: Sunday June 21
2pts win Orionis in the 15:05 Pontefract at 4/1 (General)
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The Pontefract Castle Fillies’ Stakes is a race which Ralph Beckett has won for the last two years, and he has another big chance to make it three in a row with Revoir.
She is a useful filly who has plenty of solid form to her name in listed and pattern company, notably her excellent second in a strong event at Haydock on her return last month which was arguably a career-best effort.
However, she remains with just her debut win at the backend of 2024 to her name, which is a slight concern for me, and I think she’s an opposable favourite as a result.
Merveilleux Lapin has an interesting profile, previously trained in Poland where she won the Polish Oaks, and she caught the eye on her debut for Owen Burrows in a handicap over a mile and a quarter at Windsor last month.
She arguably should have won on that occasion, not getting a fair cut of it having met some trouble in running, and only just failing to get up on the line. This will demand more, but she’s clearly well worth he place in this field on that evidence.
The one who makes most appeal to me, though, is the William Haggas-trained ORIONIS, who was progressive last season, winning three times, and she was much improved when making a winning return at Goodwood last month, also.
That was a good performance to get the better of a short-priced, totally unexposed three-year-old who she was conceding stacks of weight to, and that rival has since come out and won a listed event and raced too freely in the Ribblesdale earlier in the week.
Orionis was well positioned tracking the runner-up who set only steady fractions, so that was a big help, but I still liked the way she cruised upsides that rival around two furlongs out and quickly entered the lead, just kept up to her work and looking better the further she went.
She also has a striking pedigree, by Sea The Stars out of a useful middle-distance performer who is a sister to top-class Almanzor, so she has the potential to reach even higher heights.
Orionis is an uncomplicated ride, likely be ridden prominently, tactics I like at Pontefract and she represents a bang in-form William Haggas, who had an excellent week at Royal Ascot. He also has a good record at Pontefract with an overall strike rate of 24%, while five of his last 10 runners at the track have won, so there’s plenty to like.
Preview posted at 18:00 BST on 20/06/2026
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