The William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes is the feature event on Ripon’s richest race day of the year.
You would think it no surprise that a leading bookmaker would want to sponsor a traditionally competitive sprint handicap which is almost always always fully subscribed. But punters are making a habit of hitting the bookies where it hurts in the 6f contest with the last three winners having been the subject of massive gambles. Richard Fahey has trained two of the last three winners and David O’Meara has saddled three of the last five so it pays to sit up and take notice when local runners are well backed. Both of those trainers have three runners apiece in the race this weekend.
Great St Wilfrid Stakes History and Trends
William Hill is sponsoring the Great St Wilfrid Stakes for the 23rd year running at the North’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ and naturally have a full set of odds, alongside other major layers.
William Hill’s website has been much more user-friendly since its relaunch in 2009. It now offers a much better free bet to new customers that are looking specifically to get a free bet when signing up. You don’t see this offer very often, nor do you see it when you visit the William Hill site directly.
The following free bet offer is available when you sign up at William Hill via the link here and use the promotional code F20.
Deposit then and place your first bet of at least £10 (at minimum odds of 1.20 which equals to 1/5 in fractional odds). Once your first bet is settled, you will get two free bet tokens of £10. The free bets are valid only for 30 days, so make sure you use them quickly!
Terms and conditions apply so please see full details directly at William Hill.
In the last 10 years, all winners of the Great St Wilfrid Stakes have had a BHA rating of between 92 and 100 so indications are that the top four horses in this year’s race will all have to produce exceptional form to prevail. Worryingly for punters, that quartet includes the well-fancied David Nicholls’ pair Orion’s Bow and Kimberella as well as 2013 winner Baccarat.
Most recent winners had won at least a Class 3 handicap previously and though the three-year-old Don’t Touch won 12 months ago four, five and six-year-olds have generally fared best. It’s usually an advantage to have raced in the three weeks previously and to have been placed at least once in the last three starts but this is not usually a race for sprinters that have been on the go for while. The last three winners have all had single-figure draws.
A percentage of these ran in the valuable Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood two weeks ago. Orion’s Bow (a best 5/1 with Betfred) did best but has been raised a further 3lb since. Related and Nuno Tristan (both a general 10/1) were second and third in the Stewards’ Cup consolation race and the former was earlier close behind Kimberella (a general 8/1) at York, though has something to find with a back-to-form Intisaab (a best 11/1) on that run.
SNAP SHOTS was fourth in the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot as a two-year-old. He struggled to last home over 6f last year but did finish second at Ripon on one occasion. However, he’s much relaxed nowadays and Richard Kingscote has steered him to a couple of victories at Haydock and at Ripon, which he clearly likes. Still looking nicely treated, he should give us a run for our money at the general 16/1.
William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes Sponsors’ Current Odds
Orion’s Bow (9/2), Kimberella (8/1), Nuno Tristan and Related (10/1), Intisaab (11/1), Perfect Pasture and Toofi (14/1), Snap Shots, Son Of Africa, Alben Star and Pipers Note (16/1), Baccarat, Mujassam, George Dryden and Nameitwhatyoulike (20/1), Mythmaker and Tatlisu (25/1), Go Far, Louis The Pious and Moonraker (33/1)
