Meet Mr Pontefract Races, Norman Gundill, clerk of the course for 40 years as he prepared for the new racing season

Norman’s earliest memories of Pontefract Park were as a child. His grandfather and grandfather’s brother-in-law Will Bentley were both involved with the management of the course as was his father Henry James (Jim) Gundill. “They were in practice as solicitors Carter, Bentley & Gundill and the practice would decamp down here on race days. I remember first coming here with my mother.

“When racing was over my sister and I would run around everywhere trying to find discarded winning Tote tickets. We never found any. My fondest memories of the racecourse in more recent times are of a Sunday meeting with 9,500 here for the Skybet Sunday Series or a Friday evening with lovely weather and all the crowds coming in.

"When it gets to the first race, we go up on to the balcony and all you can see is a sea of people, hear that hubbub, enjoy the lovely blue sky and watch the horses gather around at the start. Then they are under starters order and they’re off.”

Always keen to share the glory, Norman tells of what he and his team put together and of the hopes he has for every meeting.

“It’s certainly not just about me. I’m a team player. Everyone here plays their part. Richard and I and all the staff, are all doing what you’d expect of a theatre. We look after the theatre, we’ve written the play, the conditions of all the races, stage managed it and produced it, and then it’s worked.

“You want good weather and last year was glorious. Yes, it was tough on the ground staff ensuring it was properly irrigated, as much as we could. The team went dizzy going round and around keeping the track in good order, but you’d rather have it hot than not.

“The other thing you want is good, competitive racing. There’s nothing like a head-bobber at the finish. I remember one of the early Flying Fillies, one of our listed races, with Pipalong and Wannabe Grand. That was a special race.

One of Pontefract’s more recent additions to its programme has been its Long Distance Championship with eight races run over three distances where the horses score points for places. Norman particularly enjoys the competitive instinct this has brought about among trainers and owners.

“All of the races are at lengths of over two miles and they’re all going for it. It encourages entries and sometimes gets horses running that don’t really have a chance of getting a win or even a highly placed finish, but they just want to run for the horse to gain extra points.

“I’ve long been an advocate of greater prize money in horseracing and this year ours will be the biggest ever at £1.4m, it all helps promote Pontefract as a racecourse the owners and trainers want to come to.

“There are many who just love racing and who enjoy their day out. They come, have lunch, see their horse running in their colours, but they also deserve a proper reward when their horse wins and I am delighted that owners are able to achieve good prizemoney here.

The current economic climate and the imminent Government white paper on responsible gambling are two of Norman’s concerns, but he’s never less than positive about the future.

“There is some fear and trepidation as there’s no doubt that people are not going to have as much money in their pockets and coming to the races is a leisure activity.

“The majority of our income comes from the Levy Board or media rights, which is based upon betting one way or another. Racing is inextricably bound up with betting but there’s no question the amount racegoers pay, not just in admission but in catering, is also important.

“Some people do still slightly equate gambling with the slippery slope to Hades, but it’s a rather ludicrous thing where bookmakers are having to make their minds up that people are only spending what they can afford. How do they know?

“I’m all for responsible gambling. It is a pleasurable activity for 100,000s in whatever gambling they participate. The problem is people now have a myriad of cards and some have no idea how much they’re spending.

“Publishing the white paper won’t answer the problem, there’ll be a consultation. I just feel that somebody needs to take this matter by the scruff of the neck and say this is what you need.

Norman says the work undertaken by Richard (Hammill) in attracting new racegoers to Pontefract Park which led to the new OAP Free Entry Day last year and the launch of this year’s Racing for Everyone Day shows how Pontefract is becoming far more inclusive.

“Richard came up with the OAP day, offering free admissions into the paddock. We had a terrific day and had 4000 in for a Monday meeting. We still had 2000 paying. We actually got a letter from a bookmaker saying, ‘Wow, that was fantastic, like the old days.’ You don’t get praise from bookmakers very often.

“Our Racing for Everyone day is all about inclusivity. It’s about us making sure those who might not otherwise have come, because they are perhaps in a wheelchair or have some other disability, can enjoy a day at the races.

“We’ve got to broaden our horizons, appeal to different audiences, which we do with our music nights and our family days. If you’ve no connection whatsoever with racing, you’ve never been, it’s a big leap of faith to say, ‘Right I’m going to races this afternoon.’

Norman has been at the races all his life. He qualified as a solicitor in 1966 and became assistant secretary at Pontefract Park. He began attending board meetings in 1972, was appointed a director in 1973, company secretary in 1974 and managing director in 1975 prior to his Clerk of the Course role in 1983.

He has overseen every major happening at the course in the past 40 years and is looking forward to the 2023 season.

“The biggest transformations we have made in my lifetime have been putting in the new irrigation system in 1980, which totally revolutionised the state of the going; and making the racecourse a complete circuit, that is now the UK’s longest complete circuit at two miles 136 yards.

Norman says he always maintained his role as a lawyer until retiring and still thinks like one today.

“My standard joke was that I ran the racecourse by day and I solicited at night.”

The season opener at Pontefract Race Course takes place on Tuesday . pontefract-races.co.uk