17th-Aug-2024

I considered many options in the Great St Wilfrid, you can make cases for Mr Wagyu and Manila Scouse and Radio Goo Goo and Ramazan, but I kept coming back to Dare To Hope, and he is the bet in my book.

Richard Fahey’s horse has so much in his favour.  He has run twice at Ripon for starters, a track at which, with its ridges on the straight track, course form is more important than it is at most tracks, and he ran really well on both occasions.  He was beaten a short head in a novice stakes there as a juvenile, and he won a handicap there last September off a mark of 80.

He has been progressive this season too, he ran a big race at York on his penultimate run, doing well to come from off the pace on the near side to finish fourth, in a race that was dominated by the horses who raced prominently and towards the far side.  Four of the first six home were drawn five or lower, and one of the others switched early and raced far side.  Dare To Hope raced from stall 13 and raced on the near side.  He can be marked up significantly on the bare form of the run.

He is another whose run in the Stewards’ Cup last time has to be forgiven, but it can be, he travelled well just behind the pace on the far side, but he couldn’t get a gap until it was too late.  He finished off his race well on the far side once in the clear.

Richard Fahey won this race with Don’t Touch in 2015, he has probably had it in mind for a while for Dare To Hope, and it is significant that Oisin Orr is riding him.

DARE TO HOPE WON (ADV 11/2, SP 9/2)