One of Ripon's most prestigious races of the season, The William Hill Great St. Wilfrid Stakes – a £50,000 Heritage Handicap for sprinters – heads a top-class programme at Yorkshire's ‘Garden Racecourse' on Saturday (August 13), when racing starts at 2-15 p.m.
A famous contest over six furlongs, The Great St. Wilfrid Stakes continues to enjoy the support of The William Hill Organization, and this popular, competitive race for speedsters is sure to attract plenty of runners, including a fair share of locally-trained horses. In fact, thirteen of the 19 runners in last year's race were trained in North Yorkshire. Smokin Beau, trained at Newmarket by Nick Littmoden, took the honours last year, winning by five lengths under a good front-running ride by Joe Fanning.
The successful owner in Saturday's big race will receive a silver trophy depicting Ripon's Patron Saint, St. Wilfrid, mounted on horseback.
Saturday's opening race is The Ripon Horn Blower Conditions Stakes, a sprint contest for two-year-olds which is likely to attract some precocious juveniles, while fillies and mares are put through their paces in The European Breeders Fund Fillies' Handicap Stakes over one mile and a quarter.
The longest race of the afternoon is the £15,000-added Ripon Cathedral Handicap Stakes (one mile and a half), while the line-up of races is completed with The Donal & Bernadette McWilliams Memorial Maiden Stakes (five furlongs) and The ripon-races.co.uk Maiden Auction Stakes, a contest for two-year-olds over six furlongs.
Ripon's permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to follow all of the action, while The Ripon City Band provide the musical entertainment from the racecourse bandstand.
For old articles (from 1st March 2000) go to the Newslink
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