5Oct 2026
The Penultimate Meeting
Autumn Flat racing as the season draws to a close.
Tickets
Meetings and tickets for 2026/27
Pontefract’s last two racedays of 2026. The season returns in April.
Pontefract fixturesSeason 2026/27
19Oct 2026
Season Finale
The Listed EBF Silver Tankard Stakes for two-year-olds. Stay after the last race to watch jumps horses gallop on the track before their new season.
For standard 2026 midweek meetings, advance prices from April are £21 Premier, £15 Grandstand & Paddock and £7.50 Picnic; on-the-day prices are £23, £17 and £8. Sunday, Friday-evening and Ladies’ Day prices differ. Accompanied under-18s are free in every enclosure.
On a budget
Standard 2026 midweek Picnic admission is £7.50 in advance from April onwards.
Bringing children
Under-18s free in every enclosure.
Autism-friendly
Every raceday has a sensory room and a quiet room.
End of season
The Season Finale on 19 October.
Which enclosure should you choose?
Pontefract has three enclosures.
£21 advance
Premier
For a standard 2026 midweek meeting, advance admission is £21 from April onwards. This badge includes access to every enclosure, a champagne bar and the Park Suite restaurant; it is closest to the parade ring and winning post.
£15 advance
Grandstand & Paddock
For a standard 2026 midweek meeting, advance admission is £15 from April onwards. This is the most popular area, with parade ring access, five bars and access to the Picnic Enclosure too.
£7.50 advance
Picnic Enclosure
For a standard 2026 midweek meeting, advance admission is £7.50 from April onwards. This is the grassy area for picnics and children’s rides; a separate Cars to Course ticket allows a car close to the rails.
Parking add-on
Cars to Course
The 2026 car ticket costs £20 on midweek, Monday evening and Ladies Day, or £25 on Sundays and Friday evenings. It admits a car and up to four adults into Picnic; a parking space is guaranteed when booked in advance, but not a specific position.
Dining package
Park Suite Experience
A 2026 Premier Gold package with Premier admission, a reserved table, four-course carvery and afternoon tea. Adult prices range from £98 midweek to £108 on Ladies Day; under-18s are £37.50.
Shared hospitality
Dalby Stand Shared Hospitality
Shared Dalby Stand options include the advance-only £72 midweek buffet, £77 Friday buffet, £75 Sunday Special, and Dine & View at £130 plus VAT for midweek meetings.
Private hospitality
Private Hospitality Boxes
Dalby Stand boxes and the Pipalong Room are sold in 2026 with all-inclusive prices from £102.50 plus VAT per person for Silver Buffet on standard dates. Minimum booking is eight guests.
Ladies Day only
Ladies Day Marquee Experience
The 2026 Ladies Day package was £99.75 per person, including Premier admission, casual seating, welcome drink, three bowl foods and dessert, screens and a bar.
Compare every enclosure side by side: prices, views, bars and food, dress codes and entrances.
Dress code at Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract has a dress code only in Premier, asking for smart-casual clothes without requiring a jacket or tie. Scruffy jeans, shorts, T-shirts, sportswear and trainers are excluded from Premier. Check the forecast before choosing your layers and footwear, and think about the time you will spend outdoors during the meeting. If you have booked a specific dining or hospitality package, consult its instructions or ask Pontefract for clarification before travelling. This keeps your outfit choice aligned with the area you have actually booked.
Official clothing advice — checked 14 October 2026.
What will the trip cost?
A quick estimate for your group. Where we have confirmed a ticket price it’s filled in; otherwise add the price from the racecourse’s booking page. Change any figure to match your plans.
Getting to Pontefract
Pontefract Racecourse is inside Pontefract Park, about a mile north of the town centre and close to the M62/A1 interchange. Race-day traffic and station access differ, so choose the route that matches your arrival point.
By car
The racecourse is signed from the M62 and A1. Free public parking is available at the course. A separate Cars to Course ticket lets you take a car into the Picnic Enclosure; spaces are limited and the racecourse sells this option separately.
By train
Tanshelf is opposite the entrance to Pontefract Park, although the stands are about half a mile beyond the entrance. Monkhill and Baghill stations are in the town centre, around two to three miles from the course. Taxis are available at the stations.
By bus
A bus stop sits just outside Pontefract Park, with a short walk to the racecourse entrance. The course’s travel page lists bus routes and advises checking the operator’s timetable for your meeting day.
By taxi
Pontefract Races lists Data Cars (01977 600680), Action Cars (01977 703333), Slatters Taxis (01977 705674) and Ponty Cars (01977 609999). The racecourse says taxi firms are in high demand on race days and recommends booking ahead.
Parking at Pontefract Racecourse
Pontefract’s standard car parking is free and is located in the park, with free coach parking too. Bringing a car into the Picnic Enclosure is a separate admission option whose package includes entry for up to four adults and a racecard. Check the current booking details if choosing that option rather than confusing it with the ordinary car park. Follow the official approach directions and confirm any particular access requirements with the course before travelling.
Official parking advice — checked 14 October 2026.
Coming by train?
Book trains to Pontefract.
Hotels near Pontefract Racecourse
The racecourse recommends hotels in Pontefract and neighbouring West Yorkshire. These options range from a hotel beside Castleford’s Xscape leisure centre to historic country houses; travel times below are the racecourse’s estimates, not journey guarantees.
Pontefract and Castleford
Closest choices listed by the racecourse for a short drive to the park.
- Premier Inn Castleford (Xscape, M62 J32), The racecourse lists the Xscape hotel at about 1½ miles away. The hotel has on-site parking and an in-house restaurant.
- Travelodge Pontefract Ferrybridge A1/M62, A budget option by the A1/M62 junction; Travelodge describes it as a few miles from central Pontefract.
- Rogerthorpe Manor Hotel, A 17th-century manor in Badsworth, around five miles from the racecourse according to Pontefract Races.
Country-house stays
Hotels outside the town centre, useful if you are driving and want a rural setting.
- Wentbridge House Hotel, A four-star country-house hotel in Wentbridge, within 10 miles of the course.
- Waterton Park Hotel, A hotel on the Walton Hall estate, about 15 minutes from the racecourse by the racecourse’s estimate.
- Oulton Hall, A country-house hotel in Leeds, about 20 minutes from the course by the racecourse’s estimate.
Find a hotel
Compare hotels near Pontefract.
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Evenings in Pontefract
Pontefract’s evening venues are mainly around Ropergate and the town centre, with a community bar and events space at Carleton Grange to the west of town.
- Drinks and live entertainment
Ropergate bars
The Last Bank is a bar and restaurant in a former bank building, serving cocktails, beer and food. Retro Bar at 13 Ropergate focuses on Motown, 1980s music and soul. Both are central options for an evening in town.
- Dinner and drinks
Ropergate dining bars
Twenty 3 at 21–23 Ropergate combines a restaurant, bar and coffee shop. Bar 23 has a relaxed dining room and lists wine, spirits, cocktails and beers. Both are central choices for dinner before or after an evening in town.
- Live music and community events
The Grange, Carleton
The Grange is a community venue with a public bar, grounds and a calendar of events. Its own listings include live music nights, jazz and seasonal events; it is outside the centre, on Carleton Road.
The racecourse FAQ says its own bars close 30 minutes after the final scheduled race, so the town offers options after the course closes.
Things to do while you are here
The town centre combines castle history, liquorice heritage and a large public park. These are Pontefract places to explore away from the racecourse.
Pontefract Castle
The free-entry castle grounds sit a short walk from the town centre. The site dates to the Norman period and played a major role in the English Civil War; today, visitors can explore the ruins and interpretation displays. From 1 October to 31 March, the grounds open 8:30am–4:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:30am–4:30pm at weekends, with last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Pontefract Museum
In an Art Nouveau building in the centre, the free museum covers the town’s castle, Civil War and liquorice history. Its displays include the story of Britain’s first secret ballot in Pontefract in 1872 and the Ackworth Hoard. The museum also runs family activities and temporary exhibitions.
Pontefract Park
The public park around the racecourse is open every day and has a lake, woodland, nature reserve, sports pitches and a café. A £450,000 play area, completed in 2023, has 30 pieces of equipment and features for babies and children up to 14. The council describes the park as about one mile north of the town centre.
Plan a town visit
Wakefield Museums and Castles publishes visitor information for the free-entry castle and Pontefract Museum.
On the day
Pontefract publishes fixture-specific opening and race times. The two examples below apply to Monday 5 October 2026; that meeting opens at noon and the first race is at 2pm.
Gates open: 12 noonMonday 5 October 2026.
First race: 2pmMonday 5 October 2026.
Pontefract Races fixture listing, checked 3 October 2026. These are the published times for Monday 5 October 2026; fixture schedules vary by date.
Choose an enclosure
Pontefract has Premier, Grandstand & Paddock and Picnic enclosures. The Grandstand ticket also includes access to the Picnic Enclosure; Premier admission covers all three. The Picnic Enclosure allows cars only with a separate Cars to Course ticket.
Tickets and children
Accompanied under-18s are admitted free to every enclosure at every meeting. An adult must buy their own valid admission. The racecourse accepts card and online bookings; American Express is not accepted for online tickets.
Food, dogs and closing time
The Picnic Enclosure is the area for picnics and dogs; keep dogs on a lead. Assistance dogs are permitted throughout the course. Racecourse bars close 30 minutes after the scheduled last race.
Families and groups
Children are admitted free with an adult and the course has regular family fixtures as well as a public play area in the surrounding park.
Free entry and family days
Accompanied under-18s are admitted free to every Pontefract enclosure on every raceday. On its three 2026 Family Sundays, the racecourse offered a £30 advance family ticket for two adults and their children in the Grandstand & Paddock, with children’s entertainment in the Picnic Enclosure. Pontefract Park’s council-run play area is a separate public facility with equipment for babies through age 14.
Help on the day and afterwards
In an emergency
Call 999 and give the address, Pontefract Racecourse, Pontefract Park, Park Road, Pontefract, WF8 4QD. Then tell a member of staff.
Racecourse office
Call 01977 781307 or email info@pontefract-races.co.uk.
Accessibility
Step-free access to every enclosure, lifts to all floors, accessible toilets and viewing ramps everywhere, and free entry for personal assistants.
After your visit
Official results are on the BHA results page.
A little history
- 1801The first recorded Pontefract meeting in the Racing Calendar.
More Pontefract guides
Compare the enclosuresPrices, views, dress codes and entrances side by sideAccessibilityParking, viewing areas, toilets and personal assistant ticketsYour first racedayHow a day at the races worksOther racecoursesPlan a trip to another course
Prices, dates and travel details were checked on 3 October 2026. The racecourse can change prices, times and arrangements, so check your booking page before you pay. This is an independent guide, not connected to Pontefract Racecourse. Some links may earn us a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; this never decides what we recommend.