Oisin Orr won the big sprint handicap at Ripon on Dare To Hope© Photo Healy Racing
Dare To Hope led home stablemate Ramazan to provide Richard Fahey with a one-two in the William Hill Great St Wilfrid and give him a third winner of Ripon’s most valuable race of the season.
Fahey has tasted glory before with Baccarat (2013) and Don’t Touch (2015), who subsequently went on to land the Ayr Gold Cup, and the handler dominated the six-furlong sprint again inside the final furlong.
Top weight Ramazan ran his heart out once more and having been pipped in the Victoria Cup at Ascot earlier in the season, it is surely only a matter of time before he lands a deserved big pot.
But it was the 9-2 favourite Dare To Hope, unlucky in running at Goodwood when last seen, who was the better handicapped of the pair.
Not only was it two Fahey runners dominating the finish, both his jockeys were called Oisin, and it was stable number one Oisin Orr who came out on top by three-quarters of a length, with Oisin McSweeney having to settle for second.
Secret Guest was third, with Summerghand, twice placed in the race before, back in fourth.
Orr said: “I had a good draw and they weren’t going fast enough for him, the race kind of fell apart two and a half out, which really suited my horse and he galloped out well.
“I think he needs a good gallop to aim at, so I knew I was coming there with a chance, but when I looked up, I could see Richard’s other horse, so I thought I’d stay away from him.
“He ran well at Goodwood and he’s always worked really well. I imagine he’ll be aimed at some nice races now.”
Fahey’s assistant trainer Robin O’Ryan said: “I was cheering for them both because they both deserved it. Ramazan really deserves one, as he just got beat at Ascot earlier in the season.
“It’s lovely for all the owners of the winner, I couldn’t believe we were first and second – it was a great result.
“Ramazan must be a tough horse; over six or seven furlongs, he always runs his heart out and he’s probably Listed class.
“The winner is a lovely horse, we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I’m sure they’ll both be heading towards Ayr.”
Syndicate organiser John Wicks said of Dare To Hope: “I’ve run racehorse partnerships for Richard since 1999, many of these guys have been in virtually the whole time – and he’s the best we’ve had.
“I work very hard at it, I daren’t tell my wife how little I charge but it’s great to do it with a group of people. Look how happy they are! It’s a magic day.
“He’s had a bit of bad luck a few times, he’s that sort of horse. He comes from a little bit back and he doesn’t have a turn of foot, he just keeps going.
“He was blocked in the Sky Bet Dash at York and the Stewards’ Cup – Vincent Ho reckoned he’d have got third at Goodwood, even though he was drawn wrong.”
