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There hasn’t been an abundance of films about our beloved sport but those that have been lucky enough to grace the silver screens have often been taken to the hearts of many.
The likes of Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Champions were received warmly and fondly by not just those who already have an affection for racing but from those who would have never glanced at a race card or stood near a winning post before.
The classic underdog story is one that isn’t hard to grasp and to see a seemingly no-hoper defeat the odds is a cause anyone with a heart can get behind. This is perhaps why racing based films are often so well received.
Yesterday evening saw the latest, yet rare, addition to the horse racing film genre as “Dream Horse” held its Premier at the Sundance Film Festival.
I don’t need to fill us racing fans in on the brilliant story surrounding the wonderful Dream Alliance.
The Phillip Hobbs horse wasn’t the most prolific or the classiest or even one of the best but this one time Welsh National winner was loved by many, not just because of his on the course antics but for the love his owners gave him and how he even came to find his way on to a course in the first place.
By all accounts the critics are embracing this feel good film as more and more positive reviews come in and it’s fantastic to see how well received it is from those within the film industry.
The biggest thing in all of this, from a racing standpoint, is the opportunity this has provided and that racing as a whole should capitalise on the new eyes that will undoubtedly be drawn to the sport.
Do I claim to have the answers? No. However I urge those within racing to utilise this great and very scarce opportunity to show the best that racing has to offer, to limit controversy and clean up its act, of course it’s a statement that should always be true and at the forefront of the industry but I beg of the powers that be to please use this as an incentive to help racing grow and pump life into a sport that so desperately needs it.
Racing tends to find itself in the mainstream press for all the wrong reasons, now that it finds its way into the spotlight for something positive don’t let it be a wasted opportunity.
The film starring Toni Collette and Adrian Lewis is due for release later this year but feel free to take a sneak peak at a clip below.
🏇Watch a brand new clip from Sundance-bound drama Dream Horse, starring Toni Collette 🏇 pic.twitter.com/XI9jdsqagm — Film4 (@Film4) January 23, 2020
written by Rory Paddock