Ripon’s most valuable and iconic race of the season, The William Hill Great St. Wilfrid Stakes – a famous Handicap for sprinters offering prize money of £70,000 – takes pride of place on a top-class card this Saturday (August 15) – the richest raceday of the season at Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ with total prize money of £144,000 up for grabs. For the fourth year, this meeting includes The William Hill Silver Trophy a £20,000 ‘consolation’ race for those horses entered for, but unable to get into the feature race.
Contested over six furlongs, The Great St. Wilfrid Stakes celebrates 22 years of sponsorship by leading bookmakers, William Hill and another very competitive renewal is expected, with plenty of runners sure to face the starter, including several locally-trained horses; indeed this famous race has been won for the last four years by Yorkshire-trained horses. Last season’s winner, Out Do (trained at Nawton by David O’ Meara) has gone on to win some impressive Listed Races including the ‘RIU Palace Meloneras’ at Pontefract and the ‘John Smiths City Walls Stakes’ at York.
The successful owner in Saturday’s big race will receive a silver trophy depicting Ripon’s Patron Saint, St. Wilfrid, mounted on horseback along with a healthy prize fund of over £43,575.
Racing on Saturday begins at 1-50p.m. with a race for maiden two-year-olds – The CHC Vehicles Maiden Stakes over six furlongs. Two-year-olds are put through their paces in The Ripon Horn Blower Conditions Stakes over the sprint distance of six furlongs, offering prize money of £15,000. Fillies and mares take part in The British Stallion Studs European Breeders’ Fund Fillies’ Handicap Stakes (one mile and a quarter), while The attheraces.com Handicap Stakes – a £15,000 contest over one mile – and The SIS Live Handicap Stakes (three-year-olds – one mile and a half) are also featured.
Saturday’s musical entertainment on the bandstand is provided by The Lofthouse Brass Band 2000 and Ripon’s permanent giant screen will enable racegoers to see even more of the action. There’s a selection of rides such as bouncy castles and inflatables for children in the Course and Paddock Enclosures (weather dependant).
Ripon’s new racing fixture this summer on Tuesday 18th August is due to be a magical extravaganza and that’s not just the racing. As part of the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the racecourse is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the cities connections with one of Britain’s best loved children’s stories and renowned Authors.
Racing on Tuesday is set to start at 2-00 p.m. The afternoon’s feature race is The attheraces.com City of Ripon Stakes, a handicap contest over one mile and a quarter, while two-year-old sprinters take part in The Download The New Attheraces App Maiden Stakes over five furlongs.
Ripon are hosting a variety of Alice in Wonderland themed entertainment for the young racegoers including performances and games from local theatre group Page2Stages along with a variety of fairground rides and face painting all located in the Course Enclosure. They will also be holding a Mad Hatters Tea Party before racing at 1-30pm for the Children. The White Rabbit, Mad Hatter and Alice herself will be having an un-birthday party and welcome Children to join them with their picnics.
The Racecourse is also holding a Mad Hatters fancy dress competition for the children on the day, with some wonderful prizes for the best outfits and ‘Mad Hats’ including tickets to Lightwater Valley and Middleham attraction Forbidden Corner and racing tickets!
For more information on either of the race days please visit Ripon’s website www.ripon-races.co.uk or contact Erin Boswell, Marketing Executive on erin@ripon-races.co.uk