The Great St. Wilfrid is one of Yorkshire’s biggest flat races 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 are some trends and statistics from the last ten runnings of the race.
Last ten winners and their S.P: 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), 2009 – Markab (7/2 fav).
Age (Win - Place - Runners)
3-y-o: 1-1-7
4-y-o: 2-8-55
5-y-o: 4-7-48
6-y-o: 1-6-38
7-y-o: 2-5-21
8-y-o+: 0-3-21
- Four five-year-olds have been successful in the last seven years. There are five of them in a field of 20 this year.
- Only one three-year-old has won since 1999 (Don’t Touch 2015) which does not bode well for Vintage Brut.
Weight
No horse carrying more than 9st 3lb has won in the last ten years. If that trend was to continue it would mean ruling out a massive 13 of the 30 runners.
Form
Ten out of ten winners had run at least three times in the current season. All the runners still entered pass on that criterion except Dakota Gold.
Eight out of the past ten winners had run in the past twenty one days. That may lead you scratch out Richenza and Great Prospector due to the lack of a recent run.
Ten out of the last ten winners either ran at Newmarket, Goodwood, Haydock or Ripon last time out. The following horses DID NOT do so: Vintage Brut, Staxton, Dakota Gold, Intisaab, Lancelot Du Lac, Reputation, Richenza, Ice Age, Great Prospector, Belated Breath and Citron Major.
The nine horses that DO qualify on the last run at Newmarket, Goodwood, Haydock or Ripon statistic are: Gunmetal, Summerghand, Lake Volta, George Bowen, Gulliver, Lahore, Muscika, Poyle Vinnie and Venturous.
Five out of the last ten winners had previously won over course and distance. Qualifiers under that statistic are: Gunmetal, Lake Volta, Intisaab, Reputation, Lahore and Citron Major.
David O’Meara has trained the winner three times in recent years. He saddles four horses on this occasion – Summerghand, Gulliver, Intisaab and Muscika.
Richard Fahey has trained the winner once in the last ten years. He is represented by George Bowen and Great Prospector.
David Barron has won the race twice in his career and saddles last year’s winner Gunmetal and Venturous.
Tim Easterby is also a two-time winner of this race and he sends out Vintage Brute and Staxton to do battle here.
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.
The first five in the betting for information purposes on the evening of Thursday 15th August are: Summerghand, Dakota Gold, Lahore, Lake Volta and Gunmetal.
Effect Of The Draw
- Drawn 1-10: 7 wins Drawn 11+: 3 wins. It must be noted however than Gunmetal was drawn from stall 19 last year.
Horses drawn in a more favourable stall this year are: Gunmetal, Summerghand, George Bowen, Lancelot Du Lac, Richenza, Great Prospector, Muscika, Citron Major, Poyle Vinnie and Venturous.
Brief runner-by-runner form guide plus expert horse racing tips:
Gunmetal
Winner of this race last year but will have to carry 4lb’s more this time to be the first horse to go back-to-back since 2012.
Summerghand
Has been running and placing in good company all season long. His Stewards’ Cup fourth is a decent marker.
Vintage Brut
It’s always hard to ignore an Easterby runner but this one is winless since October 2018.
Lake Volta
Mark Johnson’s last winner in this race was back in 1997 but a positive is that the four-year-old is a course and distance winner.
George Bowen
An eight time career winner but most of those have come on rattling quick ground.
Staxton
Will probably be suited by the going on Saturday but has not got the best of draws.
Gulliver
Caught the eye when running on late in the Stewards’ Cup. Could be one for the each-way thieves.
Dakota Gold
Last year’s runner-up and won well at York last time. Will be suited by any rain too.
Intisaab
Has won 10 times in total, including here over course and distance in 2015. Lively outsider.
Lancelot Du Lac
Surprise winner of the 2017 Stewards’ Cup but has been struggling to recapture anything like that form since.
Reputation
Dotted-up by 3 lengths here back in April and appears to save his best for this track.
Richenza
The four-year-old filly has won twice in her career but those were both in small fields. She will be suited by the going however.
Ice Age
A Windsor regular who finished fourth in this race last year. Stable have hit top form in the last few days.
Great Prospector
Ran a decent third behind Firmament at York this season but is without a win since his debut run.
Lahor
Won the coveted David Chapman Memorial race here 12 days ago, getting the verdict over Muscika who reposes.
Muscika
He has been running well all season but has only one win this term to show for his exertions. Will probably be on the premises again.
Belated Breath
Game filly who has been successful in a third of her total starts. She could be the surprise package in this.
Citron Major
Yard has been in good form this summer and the gelding is a course and distance winner. Rowan Scott takes off a valuable 3lbs.
Poyle Vinnie
Bounced right back to form in the Stewards’ Sprint Handicap at Goodwood, just getting the nod over Saturday’s bottom weight Venturous. He is clearly in good heart at the moment.
Venturous
Stable won this last year with Gunmetal and they have a good chance of following up with this six-year-old gelding.
Great St Wilfrid: Conclusion
This race is always a conundrum of a handicap to solve but we did advise you to back Gunmetal at 14/1 in the horse racing odds last year so it would be nice to follow that up.
Eve Johnson-Houghton’s Ice Age ran well on the far-side last year and can get himself into the mix again here, while bottom-weighted Venturous should receive a positive ride from his jockey Graham Lee.
