Trainer Ruth Carr
Trainer Ruth Carr

Pipers Note out to extend Ripon record in William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap


Ripon’s most valuable race, the William Hill Great St. Wilfrid Handicap, takes pride of place on a quality card on Saturday.

The famous handicap for sprinters, run over six furlongs, always poses a fascinating puzzle for punters and with £75,000 prize money on offer the 2018 renewal is shaping up to be highly competitive, with 61 entries at the five-day-stage (maximum field of 20).

The ITV4 cameras will be present for the most valuable raceday of the season at Yorkshire’s 'Garden Racecourse', with total prize money of £150,000 up for grabs.

The meeting also includes the sixth running of the William Hill Silver Trophy Handicap, a £20,000 consolation race for the horses balloted out of the feature race.

The winning trainer of the Great St. Wilfrid will also be presented with the William Hill floral gala, a unique tribute inspired by that given to winners at the Breeders' Cup.

The last eight winners of the historic contest have been trained in Yorkshire and with plenty of entries from the likes of Tim Easterby, Richard Fahey and David O’Meara, few would bet against the trophy remaining in Yorkshire for a ninth consecutive year.

Last year’s contest was won by Easterby’s Mattmu, who has since embarked on his new career as a stallion but 2017 runner-up Pipers Note will be returning in a bid to go one better and record a remarkable ninth win at Yorkshire’s Garden Racecourse.

His trainer Ruth Carr said of Sky Bet's 8/1 second-favourite: "Pipers Note is in flying form. He absolutely loves the place and goes into the race on a hat-trick so we’re really looking forward to it.

"He finished second to Mattmu in the race last year, who was a Group-class performer having his first run in a handicap, so that was a really good effort. It would be great if he could go one better on Saturday and I’m very hopeful."

James Hutchinson, Managing Director and Clerk of the Course said: "William Hill Great St Wilfrid day is one of our highlights of the season and is always an occasion we really look forward to. For the past eight years the race has been won by Yorkshire-based trainers and Yorkshire looks likely to be very strongly represented once again."


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