Cloudy skies made for easier running conditions than during what has been a scorching week of high temperatures for Ripon’s blue riband raceday, featuring the William Hill/Motor Neurone Disease Association Great St Wilfred Handicap.
Our 6f sprint feature offers a grand total of £100,000 in prize money, ably supported by some smart novice events to offer to ITV Racing viewers, but the North Yorkshire showcase attracts a tremendous crowd in its own right. Cold beers and fast horses can be a potent mix, for sure.
Whilst the feature event made its way back to the home of flat racing in Newmarket, Yorkshire trainers scooped four of the races, including a memorable treble by Edward Bethell.
First, then to the big sprint, in which 9 of the 14 runners hailed from the county, determined to keep Ripon’s best known Sprint trophy at home. Yorkshire stables have an excellent record in the race; Tim Easterby, Pat Fahey and David O’Meara have each won it three times in the past 25 years, and stretching back a little further, Mick Easterby 4 times.
But on this occasion, history repeated itself another way, as Michael Appleby and owners the Horse Watchers 9 produced back-to-back winners of the race in Royal Zabeel, after the same combination’s win with Intervention 12 months previously. Royal Zabeel’s generous 17/2 price belied creditable performances at Newmarket last month, including winning in a 7f handicap and a 10th place in the valuable Bunbury Cup, yet no more than 6 1/2l behind the winner. Jason Watson was in the plate for what turned out to be an authoritative success, 2 3/4l ahead of the Time Easterby-trained I’m Next.
A popular trend over the past 25 years for oversubscribed races of this calibre has been to divide the handicap to produce a second race, in this instance the Silver Cup. This time Yorkshire-trained were not to be denied, Oisin Orr producing Woodstock to beat the evergreen Mark’s Choice, seeking his 10th Ripon scalp, by half a length for Ruth Carr.
Two smart novices graced the card with oodles of promise for future black type success. Coral Cove has now won twice in three outings over 7 and 8f, each time picking up smart prizes for James Owen’s versatile Newmarket concern. He reported the filly to be a work in progress for her third year, so anticipation will be high for a Guineas bid next Spring. Jason Hart had little to do to illustrate her supremacy here, 6 1/2l the winning distance.
Rogue Jewel was also convincing in her novice over 2f shorter, albeit showing a little green in the final furlong with the race won. Unbeaten in 2 outings so far, trainer Ed Bethell plans to return for the Ripon Two Year Old Trophy on Bank Holiday Monday to complete a hat-trick. Danny Tudhope took the ride here.
Rogue Jewel was the first leg of a treble for the Bethell team which surpassed last year’s total with the last of their three winners. Murashah proved that patience is a necessary requirement where horses are concerned when winning the mile William Hill World Free from MND Handicap. Owned by Shadwell until Spring 2026, his fifth year, the gelding has won twice this year since a year away from the track in 2025.
Oisin Orr, successful on Rogue Jewel, was seen at his persuasive best 30 minutes later in a feisty duel with Danny Tudhope as Clocker, the Bethell-trained third leg of the treble, got the best of David O’Meara’s Talitha Rouge. The winning distance of 1 3/4l doesn’t do justice to Tudhope’s mount, who only gave way 100 yards from the post.
Saxon Grace collected a quickfire August hat-trick with her third success this month in the concluding Harrogate Comedy Festival Coming This Autumn Handicap over 1m2f after earlier successes at Redcar and Beverley two days previously. Trainer Daragh Bourke may run out of time to run her again before the handicapper upgrades her, but don’t rule out further improvement.
