Ripon’s 2006 season on the Flat comes to a resounding conclusion with the traditional two-day Bank Holiday Meeting on Monday and Tuesday (August 28 & 29), when racing at Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ begins at 2-20 p.m. and 2-15 p.m. on the respective days.
The highlight on Bank Holiday Monday is The Ripon Champion Two-Years-Old Trophy 2006, the only Listed race staged at the course. It’s the richest-ever running of this contest for precocious juveniles over six furlongs, with Monday’s renewal offering prize money of £30,000. Won last year by Sir Xaar, trained at Hambleton near Thirsk by Bryan Smart, with Johannes, trained at Sessay by David Nicholls in second place, this race has produced some notable winners over the years, such as Space Shuttle, Invincible Spirit and Kahir Almaydan.
The Ripon Rowels Handicap Stakes (a £20,000 contest over one mile) is the main supporting race, while The Billy Nevett Memorial Handicap Stakes, a race for three-year-old sprinters, commemorates a former top northern jockey, who rode three wartime Derby winners, including Dante in 1945 – the last northern-trained horse to win the Classic. In a long and distinguished career as a jockey, Billy Nevett rode 2,068 winners between 1924 and 1956, recording his 2,000th winner at a Ripon meeting in 1955.He passed away in 1992, aged 86. Last year’s winner of this race, Borderlescott, went on to land The Coral Sprint Trophy at York in October and recently landed another famous race for sprinters, The Vodafone Stewards Cup at Goodwood.
Tuesday’s feature race is The City of Ripon Stakes, a £15,000 handicap over one mile and a quarter, while The Steve Nesbitt Challenge Trophy Nursery Handicap Stakes is a contest for two-year-olds, held in memory of one of the north’s most popular and respected trainers who was based at nearby Newby Hall before moving to Middleham.
Juvenile sprinters take part in the Eat, Sleep & Drink At The Nag’s Head Conditions Stakes over five furlongs, while two miles is the distance in The Wakeman Stayers Handicap Stakes.
Ripon’s permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to have an even closer view of the proceedings. There’s musical entertainment on Bank Holiday Monday courtesy of The Tom Roberts Jazz Band and there’s a selection of attractions for young racegoers in the Course Enclosure. The racecourse’s playgrounds will be in use and, as usual, accompanied children under 16 years of age will be admitted free of charge into all enclosures.
Going into this final meeting of the season, the battle to be top trainer and jockey at Ripon in 2006 in the awards supported by Glenfiddich Malt Whisky will be decided. Based on a points system according to winners and places obtained throughout the campaign, Mark Johnston leads the trainers’ category with 110 points, followed by Richard Fahey on 92 points after his treble of winners at Ripon last Saturday. Kevin Darley, with 86 points is the leading rider, followed by Neil Callan on 78 points.
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