SATURDAY is Ripon’s biggest day of the year as the prestigious Great St Wilfrid takes centre stage, with 20 runners blasting up the straight six furlongs – and 16 of the runners are trained in Yorkshire.
Malton trainer Richard Fahey is well represented with four runners, including Tatlisu and Supplicant who look to have live chances.
In-form David O’Meara, who trained Pepper Lane to win in 2011 and 2012, has two chances, well with the visored Out Do joined by stable companion Bondesire.
“Pepper Lane was a wonderful filly who excelled at Ripon and won it twice – whether we have another Pepper Lane I don’t know,” said O’Meara.
“Bondesire loves Ripon, she’s either won or been placed there just about every time she’s been. She ran really well at Ascot last weekend, she missed the break but flew home to finish fourth. She ideally likes a bit of cut in the ground.
“Out Do prefers better ground but he’s been in good form. 
“If the ground is good or better he’d go there with a great chance. The draw is always an issue but Pepper Lane won from both sides so it can be done.”
Later in the afternoon Border Bandit can gain compensation for a recent Redcar run when he unseated jockey Robert Winston coming out of the stalls.
It was a freak accident and, with Winston riding at Newmarket, David Allan comes in for the ride.
The six-year-old is trained by County Durham handler Tracey Waggott, who continues to impress and has already 15 winners on the board this season.
At Newbury, Ed Dunlop feels The Betfred TV Geoffrey Freer Stakes comes at just the right time as he plans Red Cadeaux’s overseas adventures once more.
The very popular eight-year-old has won over £4m in prize money during a career which has seen him take in races in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and famously Australia.
Red Cadeaux has been second twice in the Melbourne Cup and Dunlop has his sights set on another trip Down Under, hoping it will be fourth time lucky.
He has not been seen since running down the field in Japan in May but has been pleasing at home in recent weeks.
“He ran well in the race last year (second) and that was with a Group One penalty,” said Dunlop.
“Obviously, he hasn’t won for a while so he doesn’t have that any more so that is in his favour. He’s in very good form. We need to remember that this is his first run after a long lay-off, but he does go well fresh.
“His last run was Japan in May and we put a line through that as the ground was very fast and he came back sore.
“This race comes at an ideal time with a view towards going back to Melbourne but it also comes at a time which means we can fit another race in before we go to Australia.
“We’ve entered him in a Group One in Germany and there’s the Irish St Leger he could run in, too.
“The trip is right, it’s a lovely course and I just hope there’s not too much more rain. Gerald Mosse is kindly coming over to ride him for us. It’s a competitive race, though, against some race-fit rivals.”