Great St Wilfrid: Connor Beasley aims for third win in Ripon feature on Intri Internal Bond, live on Sky Sports Racing | Racing news

There’s something about Ripon’s biggest race, the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap, that brings out the best of northern racer Connor Beasley.

He won it twice and finished second three times in seven rides in the six-lap sprint and finished a reliable fourth last year on the horse he partnered again in the table. control £100,000 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports RacingTracy Waggott’s Intrinsic bonds.

Beasley, who two weeks ago won the Stewards’ Cup in his second year of running on the Commanche Falls for boss Michael Dods, said victory for family friend Waggott would mean worldly to him.

“I’ve known Tracy all my life,” Beasley said. “My mother Susan worked with her at Norman Mason’s when I was young and she lived in the village next door. Then, after she started training, I started my career with her. before moving to Michael. She has a great knack for finding the keys to sprinters and deserves to win a big race like Great St Wilfrid.”

Her five-year-old intrinsic bond had a 6lb lower handicap than his on last year’s renewal and failed to arrive at ‘Garden Racecourse’ in a more relaxed state after winning at Thirsk last month . He’s never won at Ripon but has been runner-up three times on his trip to Great St Wilfrid.

“He’s a gritty, hard-working sprinter who knows his job and gives you everything,” added Beasley, who passed the 60-winner mark this year and of course will beat the previous best of 72. “In an ideal world he would probably prefer some ground supply but he’s pretty versatile.

“He also showed that he handles the track and track form is very important at Ripon. It’s one of those races that can catch a horse. You have to hit every undulating hit even and if you have one. horses running there for the first time can throw them off balance.

“We were drawn lower than ideal at stall six but it’s not the maximum field, so I have options from there. If given the choice, I’d be in the stands but I’ve seen horses win. it’s also from the far side. That’s wherever the speed really is and there must be enough early speed around me to save me some energy.”

Beasley won the Great St Wilfrid ahead of two other prominent riders, Nameitwhatyoulike trained by Bryan Smart in 2016 and Dakota Gold for the Dods three years later.

“Nameitwhatyoulike was a good sprinter, a gallopist,” he said, recalling an important victory given the fact that it came just over a year after Beasley suffered a skull fracture and fractured vertebrae in a collision in Wolverhampton. put him on the operating table for 10 critical hours.

“It was a big result for me at the time,” he added. “For a sprinter, he didn’t stop pushing when he went forward. You could stretch them from the triple pole on him and he won right from the front the other day. there, beat the proper horses like Intisaab, Baccarat and Pipers Note.”

However, his subsequent success on Dakota Gold paved the way for some of his best moments in the saddle. “Dakota Gold is the toughest horse I’ve ever sat on and is already a legend. It’s as tough as old boots, wears a heart on its sleeve and brings you wherever you go.

“It was pretty easy that day and he liked to get his toes on the ground ideally. He had finished second in David Barron’s star sprinter to Gunmetal 12 months earlier.

Together they have won seven more races, including the Group of Three Bengough Stakes at the York jockey’s favorite track in 2020, and potentially a spot at the Ayr Gold Cup in their sights. in September, among other goals.

However, it was another Dods sprinter who helped put Beasley’s name on the map as an apprentice. He’s won 5 times on the Spinatrix mare, including the valuable Coral Sprint trophy at York in October 2014.

But it was her performance at Great St Wilfrid that summer and the year before that really caught Beasley’s attention as they lost only to the next two Wokingham winners. Richard Fahey’s Baccarat won her yards from the post before David O’Meara’s Out Do defied a low draw to thwart her again, even though she made it home for the first time. the sidelines.

“It was heartbreaking for me to be defeated on both occasions but at the same time she helped put me on the map and carried me forward. She was the right flag bearer for me, taking me to the big meetings. on Saturday as a book lover.

“If you saw her in the morning, you wouldn’t think she was a sprinter. She’s always behind the reins – very lazy – and you have to give her a kick to get her to. on the device but she went for you all the time.”

Tuesday’s win in Great St Wilfrid on Intrinsic Bonds will set Beasley up for what could be a weekend to remember, as he plans to team up with the improving mare mare Gale Force Maya in Stock. The Bay section is listed at Pontefract on Sunday.

Beasley, who finished third in chestnuts in the Summer Three at York last month, before winning for the third time this season at Knavesmire handicaps, said: “She is six years old now but still continue to improve.

“She had a lot of weight on her back that day and had a bit of a major disability. The boss did a great job of hers and it would be great if she could get some sort of black top for her. his master.”

It’s great, but winning at Great St Wilfrid will be hard to come by. “I’d love to win it a third time, especially for Tracy. That’s great,” he said.

Watch William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap live from Ripon on Sky Sports Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 535) on Saturday 13 August.