Great St Wilfrid Handicap 2020: Betting Preview

12/03/2023
6 min. read
Great St Wilfrid Trophy
Steve Mullington
By Steve Mullington

The Great St. Wilfrid is one of Yorkshire’s most famous sprint handicaps and is run over a distance of six furlongs at Ripon racecourse.

The race derives its name from the patron saint of Ripon, St. Wilfrid. In fact the winning owner receives a trophy which depicts St. Wilfrid on horseback.

Ripon has hosted some of the most exciting, prestigious and enjoyable racing in the country for more than 300 years and this is the most valuable race on their calendar. Here at 888sport, we offer free horse racing betting tips on the race each year.

Here are some trends and statistics from the last 10 runnings of the race.

Last 10 Winners & SPs:

  • 2019 - Dakota Gold (5/1 fav)

  • 2018 – Gunmetal (10/1)

  • 2017 – Mattmu (25/1)

  • 2016 – Nameitwhatyoulike (16/1)

  • 2015 – Don’t Touch (4/1 fav)

  • 2014 – Out Do (7/1 fav)

  • 2013 – Baccarat (9/2 fav)

  • 2012 – Pepper Lane (20/1)

  • 2011 – Pepper Lane (11/1)

  • 2010 – Damika (18/1)

Age (Win-Place-Runners)

  • 3-y-o: 1-1-7

  • 4-y-o: 2-8-53

  • 5-y-o: 5-6-46

  • 6-y-o: 0-6-36

  • 7-y-o: 2-5-21

  • 8-y-o+: 0-3-18

Five five-year-olds have been successful in the last eight years.  There are five of them in a field of 20 this year.

Only one horse aged nine or older has won since 1992 (Green Dollar) which is not a great statistic for the likeable veteran, Watchable - he is likely to popular in online betting picks.

Weight

Just one horse has carried more than 9st 1lb to victory in the last ten years- that was Dakota Gold last year (9-7). Just two horses (Dakota Gold & Watchable) carry over 9st 1lb this year.

Form

  • Ten out of ten winners had run at least three times in the current season.  All the runners this Sunday pass on that score except Deputise and Royal Residence.

  • Eight out of the past ten winners had run in the past twenty one days. That may lead you scratch out Dakota Gold, Motagally, Deputise and Abel Handy due to the lack of a recent run.

  • Ten out of the last ten winners either ran at York, Newmarket, Goodwood, Haydock or Ripon last time out. The following horses DID NOT do so: Watchable, Motagally, Typhoon Ten, Deputise, Abel Handy, Abate and Thegreatestshowman.

  • The 13 horses that DO qualify by having their last run at either York, Newmarket, Goodwood, Haydock or Ripon are: Dakota Gold, Mr Lupton, Kimifive, Golden Apollo, Brian The Snail, Hyperfocus, Staxton, Citron Major, Gunmetal, I Am A Dreamer, George Bowen, Royal Residence, Highly Sprung.

  • Six out of the last ten winners had previously won over course and distance. Qualifiers under that trend are:  Dakota Gold, Hyperfocus, Staxton, Citron Major, Gunmetal, I Am A Dreamer and Abate.

Trainer Form

  • David O’Meara has trained the winner three times in recent years. He saddles Watchable and Abel Handy this time.

  • Richard Fahey has trained the winner once in the last ten years. He is represented by Mr Lupton and George Bowen.

  • David Barron has won the race twice in his career and he sends out the 2018 winner Gunmetal to do battle once more.

  • Tim Easterby is also a two-time winner of this race and he sends out Golden Apollo, Hyperfocus and Staxton.

Price

Six of the last ten winners of the race have been 11/1 or shorter. Horses that have come from the first five in the betting have had a significant prominence - a popular statistic in UK horse racing tips for the race.

The first five in the betting for information purposes on the evening of Friday 14th August are: Kimifive, Motagally, Dakota Gold, Staxton and Gunmetal.

Draw

  1. Drawn 1-10: 6 wins

  2. Drawn 11+: 4 wins

It must be noted however that the last two winners have been drawn in stalls 19 and 15.

Horses drawn in a more favourable stall this year, based on the last ten years are: Typhoon Ten, Deputise, Hyperfocus, Citron Major, Gunmetal, I Am A Dreamer, Abel Handy, Royal Residence, Highly Sprung, Thegreatestshowman.

Going off the betting, it is highly likely that the ten year draw trend will be a 50/50 split after this year’s race.

Runner-By-Runner Guide:

Dakota Gold

Won this race last year but is now 8lbs higher and is struggling to find his form this season. 3/5

Watchable

Has hit a purple patch of form just recently and was just touched off here in a tight photo finish a couple of runs ago. 4/5

Mr Lupton

Last won in May 2019 and has invariably been finishing nearer to the rear than to the front in his most recent outings. 1/5

Motagally

A rare Hamdan Al Maktoum runner in this race and he won’t just be here for the beautiful scenery. 4/5

Kimifive

In the form of his life at the moment but unfortunately cannot get his head in front. Narrowly touched off in the Stewards’ Cup 4/5

Golden Apollo

Won last year’s Ayr Silver Cup and regularly contests all these major sprint handicaps. Stable and jockey both in top form. 5/5

Brian The Snail

Running out of his shell this season and should put in another solid performance. 4/5

Typhoon Ten

Done most of his racing on the all-weather but did win on the turf at Windsor last time. 3/5

Deputise

Prolific two-year-old winner on the all-weather but also won a 5f race at Chester. He may struggle in this company. 1/5

Hyperfocus

Runner-up in last year’s consolation race for this but needs to show the same level of form quickly. 3/5

Staxton

Got the better of several of these just ten days ago but he’s never won back-to-back. 4/5

Citron Major

Won here over C&D at the end of July and has the potential to reach the podium. 3/5

Gunmetal

Won this in 2018 and ran a cracker behind Staxton here last time out. 4/5

I Am A Dreamer

Needs to dream of June 20th when he sprang a 22/1 surprise at this track. 2/5

George Bowen

Currently running like a shadow of his former self which hardly inspires confidence. 1/5

Abel Handy

Represents an in form stable and his last two runs at Catterick have been very encouraging. 3/5

Royal Residence

Two visits to Ripon this season have resulted in two sound beatings. 1/5

Abate

Ran poorly at Thirsk last time but before that was having a pretty decent time of things. 3/5

Highly Sprung

Has 11 career wins to his name and was only beaten 4l in the Stewards’ Cup. The betting underestimates him. 3/5

Thegreatestshowman

His ¾l third to Blue Vega a couple of runs ago reads well now and he could go well at the foot of the handicap. 3/5

888 Prediction: Who Wins?

Tim Easterby is popping in the winners left, right and centre at the moment and he is triple handed in this Ripon feature.

On this occasion I will leave out Staxton because he has never doubled up with his victories, thus leaving me with Golden Apollo and Hyperfocus who I think will run big races.

David Allan has all the riding nouse to utilise stall 18, while any repetition of Hyperfocus’ run twelve months ago will see him bang there too. You don't need to browse the expert horse racing tips to realise that.

888sport suggests: Golden Apollo and Hyperfocus (e/w).

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Ripon Racecourse*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 14th August 2020

About the Author See all Steve Mullington Articles
Steve Mullington
Steve Mullington

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.