What the pattern suggests
Like the 5 furlong analysis, the chart here is perfectly symmetrical, indicating no bias whatsoever. However, current thinking is that early in the season, when the ground is soft, the far side would be the place to be — favouring low-drawn runners — while later in the summer, after the track has been watered, the stands side is the place to be, favouring high-drawn runners.
How to read the chart
Each mark represents a winning stall number plotted against the total number of runners. This reveals whether winners repeatedly cluster towards the low, middle or high side.
The source chart covers horses aged three and older in handicaps from 2024–2025.
Stall-numbering note: Stalls at Pontefract are always positioned on the inside of the track.
Historical winning-stall chart
|
WINNING STALL NUMBER |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | ||
| No
of R U N N E R S |
8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 9 | 1 | 111 | 11 |
11 | 1 | 111 | 11 | 1 1 1 |
H'caps Only 2024 - 2025 |
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| 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 11 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 |
1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | |||||||||||||
| 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
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1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | |||||||||
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How to use the bias
- Pace: identify where the likely early leaders are drawn and which runners can secure a good position.
- Going: consider whether the inside or outside is riding faster on the day.
- Field size: draw effects are often more meaningful when runners are crowded into larger fields.
- Recent evidence: rail movements, watering and weather can alter the effective bias.
Conclusion
The first thing to say is, isn't their a lot of red. They most get a lot of rain in Pontefract. Like the 5 furlong analysis the chart is perfectly symetrical indicating no bias whatsoever. However the current thinking is that early in the season when the ground is soft the far side would be the place to be which would be low drawn runners, at the back end after the track has been watered in the summer, the stand side is the place to be which would favour high drawn runners.