Richard Fahey prepares for showpiece meet with five winners

The Musley Bank trainer sent out five winners last week, his most notable success being in Saturday’s big race at Ripon, the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap with Dare To Hope. 

In fact he didn’t just have the winner of the race, he also sent out the runner-up Ramazan.

Both horses had run well in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood on their previous starts and there was plenty of confidence behind the pair when they lined up for Ripon’s biggest race of the year.

Dare To Hope, the mount of stable jockey Oisin Orr, was sent off favourite at 9-2 with Ramazan, ridden by apprentice Oisin McSweeney an 8-1 shot in the 17-strong field.

Often the draw can be a bit of a puzzler with big field on the straight course at Ripon because the field can split into two groups racing either side of the track, and it isn’t always obvious which side is favoured, as it varies from meeting to meeting with the going being an important factor.

But with Dare To Hope drawn in stall 16, which is on the normally favoured stand side and Ramazan berthed in stall six over towards the far side, Richard had both bases covered. 

As it turned out it was the stand side which came out on top, Orr sending Dare To Hope into the lead with a furlong left to run, and although his mount tended to hang over towards the far side group, he was always in command and won by a decisive three-quarters of a length from his stable companion who came out best of the smaller group who raced on the far side of the course.

Oisin Orr ran Dare To Hope to victory at Ripon. (Image: PA)

The winner runs in the colours of the Lets Go Racing Syndicate which is organised by local man John Wicks.

He said: “I was in the financial services industry and the company was bought for £100 million. As I didn’t care for the new owners I needed a diversion so I do this pretty much as a hobby.

“I’ve run partnerships for Richard since 1999 and many of the guys have been in the whole time and this is the best horse we’ve had. I work hard at it and it’s great to win a decent race with a group of people like this, you can see how happy they are. It’s a magic day.”

The race went perfectly for the winner, whose rider said: "I had a good draw and they weren’t going fast enough for him. The race rather fell apart soon after halfway which suited him and he galloped on well.”

It was a case of split loyalties for Richard’s long-time assistant trainer Robin O’Ryan who said: “I was cheering for them both because they both deserved it. It’s lovely for all the owners. It is hard to believe that we were first and second in such a competitive race.”

Not content with having the first two home in the Great St Wilfrid, Richard went on to land two more winners at Pontefract the following day, with Powerful Glory catching many an eye with an impressive debut in the juvenile maiden, and Marina Wave taking the featured Listed contest.

The juvenile event was a race for horses that hadn’t run and there were some expensive and well-bred sorts in the field, but sent off a warm favourite at 10-11, Powerful Glory fairly romped home in the hands of Orr, drawing right away in the final furlong to win by five-and-a-half lengths.

He was bought at the Doncaster breeze-up sale in April for £190,000 by his trainer on behalf of owner Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum.

“We do like this horse,” said Richard after Sunday’s win. “He was my favourite breeze-up horse this year and I’m delighted Sheikh Rashid bought him. 

“I’m a bit nervous when I’ve got a nice one but I thought they weren’t going quick enough to lead him. That was grand.

“He is a big, scopey horse and although at one stage we were thinking about getting him ready for a race at Royal Ascot, but he was still on the leg, he’s still weak. 

“Fair play to Sheikh Rashid as he said to do whatever we thought best for the horse so I told him we’d give him a bit of time. He’s in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury next month and all being well that is where he’ll run.”

Marine Wave completed a fine double for Fahey and Sheikh Rashid, and underlined the stable’s current good health, when landing the Listed Sky Bet Sunday Series Flying Fillies Stakes over six furlongs on the same card at Pontefract on Sunday.

Ridden by Orr, she was always well-placed and after being sent on over a furlong out, gained a decisive success over the warm favourite Adaay In Devon.

“I’m delighted for the filly as she tries very hard,” said her trainer. “She loves fast ground and I told Sheikh Rashid last year that if he kept her in training she would win a Listed race. So that’s job done, she deserved it.”

In a memorable week for Richard Fahey and his team at Musley Bank, Life On The Rocks scored a notable success at Windsor on Thursday evening when winning a round of the valuable Racing league Series. 

Sent off at 28-1, she didn’t get the clearest of runs for jockey Cam Hardie, but she came through strongly in the closing stages to land the £18,000 contest by half a length.

Life On The Rocks ridden by Cam Hardie (centre right) wins the Tote Placepot Leg 3 Racing League Race 24 Handicap during the Racing League at Windsor. (Image: PA)

In contrast to Fahey, one local trainer who rarely hits the headlines is Norton-based Brian Rothwell. 

He has a modest bunch of horses, but enjoyed a red-letter day at Beverley on Thursday when Red Opal, ridden by apprentice Aiden Brookes, landed the Rob Burrow Dare To Dream Handicap over five furlongs.

It was the four-year-old’s second success, the first coming for the now-retired Chris Fairhurst at Carlisle in September last year.

For Brian and his team it was massive, for it was their first win since Rose Marmara won a race at Catterick back in August 2018. Since, they have had 228 runners without a winner.

“It’s all about winners,” said Brian the following day. “Now that we have had one, hopefully we can build on it. 

“We’ve been a bit unlucky not to have another winner before now. We’ve been beaten in some close photo finishes which could have gone either way. But you need the right horses to win races. I am delighted for everyone connected with her. 

“She likes Beverley but she just needed a bit of luck in running. It’s great and to have a winner here is amazing because we’ve had a lot of support from the team here. There were a lot of people here to watch her run so it’s lovely that she has won again.”