Dream Horse (2020) - full transcript

And how are we today?

You feeling better?

Be good.

£16.83, please.

£32.28, please.

- Hi, Jan.

- Hi, Jan.

All right, Cath? Anne?

Mam?

- Are you all right?

- I'm fine, love.

I just knelt down

to try and light the fire.

Couldn't get up again.

As I was here,

I thought I'd have a little sit down.

Oh! Quite comfy,

really.

She looked

a goner to me.

If I'd tried

to get her up,

I'd have ended up

on the floor myself.

So I said,

"Best get Jan."

And I said, "Don't bother her.

She'll be at Tesco's."

Co-op, Mam. I work at the Co-op.

And how many times have I told

you to leave the fire to me?

I hate for you to feel you

have to do everything for us.

Rubbish.

All she's got

is that useless lump, Brian,

to look after.

She hasn't even got

the pigeons anymore.

Besides, what's a daughter for if it's

not to look after her mam and dad?

I told you before, son, if you

lived closer I could do it

and you wouldn't need

to pay for a babysitter.

All right. Bye-bye.

State of my parents.

Dad calls,

said Mam's had a fall.

Dashed round

thinking she'd had a stroke.

- She all right?

- Yeah. She's just had another funny turn.

It'd be so much easier

if they moved in here with us.

We got the room now Dennis

and Sasha have flown the nest.

I know you and Dad under the same roof

might not be a bed of roses, but...

Didn't use a glove in my day.

It was just spit, rub and shove.

There was that time I lost

my watch up there, mind.

Brian?

I've won

the EuroMillions.

I'm having an affair

with John the post.

Absolutely bloody clueless.

- I'm leaving you, Brian.

- I've seen it all now.

What's for tea, love?

I nearly

crashed my car earlier.

Those wild ponies are down

off the mountain again.

Aye. Lured by chips

and curry sauce.

Cheer up, Gerwyn.

Might never happen.

You mean you paying your bar tab?

I'd already drawn that conclusion.

No more credit.

I'm telling you, boys.

Our horse, Sweet Gemma,

was in the race of her life.

And you know what gave her

the edge? Her good breeding.

Bona fide

thoroughbred she was.

Coming round the far

bend, she's still going well.

She's about four lengths

clear of the third horse.

I'm already running

down to the front.

And then I

lose sight of her.

I think she's gone down.

My horse has fallen.

And so I panic, and I'm fighting

my way down to the track.

And there she is, Sweet Gemma,

giving it everything she's got,

and she comes through

on the outside and wins!

- I duck under the rails...

- Totally illegal.

Totally illegal, and I run

across the track to congratulate her.

She was my horse,

and she won!

Haven't seen him

in here before.

You gotta dream big.

Howard Davies,

accountant-type.

Used to drink

up the Cross Keys.

Started coming in here

Thursdays after squash.

Owns a racehorse, does he?

Owned. Part of a syndicate.

Till it all went tits up.

- What happened?

- He doesn't like to talk about that bit.

Oh, aye.

Word is, he almost

lost everything:

Pile of cash,

house, missus.

Bitter's gone.

Who's having

one more? Before we go?

Six Stella, please.

- Howard, is it?

- That's right.

Owned a racehorse,

I gather?

Couldn't help overhearing.

- Must be an expensive business.

- What?

To buy one.

Well, let's see,

Sheikh Omari just shelled out

16 million for French Over,

winner of

the Welsh Grand National.

Mind you, that was dollars,

not pounds,

so it's more affordable

than you think.

Bring them over

can you, please? Thanks.

You've got arms,

haven't you?

Gerwyn said

to put it on my slate.

There's a spillage

in aisle six.

It looks like

chicken korma.

- What's for tea, love?

- Just starting on it now.

Hello.

You are not

gonna believe this.

The goat's

got ringworm.

And now this duck has got

bumblefoot like the others.

Here, this fella's making a complete

balls-up of castrating this alpaca.

It's a two-man job, see.

One to hold him down by the legs and

the other to nip off the squealers.

Could you turn that off?

I want you to help me

buy a mare.

You'll never learn to ride

at your age.

I'm going to breed

a racehorse.

Aye, and I'm gonna play fly-half

for Wales next Saturday.

I bred budgies,

rabbits, whippets.

Won prizes, didn't I?

And pigeons.

First woman to win the

Welsh Open back in the day.

Then let's get you another pigeon.

Or two even.

I'm breeding a racehorse.

I've done my research.

A lot more to learn,

I'm sure.

But there's this fella

that comes in the club.

- What fella?

- Howard. Bit arrogant.

But he's an expert,

and I'm hoping he'll help.

It's absolute madness.

I mean, to even think

of breeding a racehorse,

you're gonna need to buy

a thoroughbred mare.

Where you gonna get

one of those?

"Retired pedigree racehorse

for brood mare."

£300?

Oh, Jan, man.

£300.

Could have gone

to Benidorm for that.

- Top racehorse, she was.

- No, she wasn't. I checked.

But she got good ancestry,

though.

And her father's father's

father, what a stallion.

His semen has gone

all over the world.

You're lovely.

Yes, you are.

Where the bloody hell

are we gonna keep her?

What the hell is that?

Oi.

I hope you got planning

permission for that, Daisy.

Sod off, Maldwyn.

According to

council regulations,

a wooden outbuilding

should not exceed

a maximum eaves height

of 2.5 meters.

Oh, what's that racket?

I hope it's got

its emissions certificate.

No business bringing a

vehicle that size down here.

Thanks for the help, Goose.

You're lucky the box

was available, Jan.

Been using it all winter to store Hoovers.

All totally legit, mind.

Hello.

Hello.

All right.

Come on, Rewbell.

Come on.

Come on, Rewbell.

Come on, Rewbell.

Come on.

- Come on, lovely.

- Here, let me.

How many animals

do they think they need?

Hope they're

gonna clean up after it.

Don't worry about

this bloody circus.

They can't

get the bloody thing out.

What about one of these?

You like that?

Wanna come down, yeah?

Down we go.

Yeah.

All right.

Good girl.

Come on. Come on.

There you are.

Not much,

but it's home.

All right,

two pints, please.

So... made a start,

haven't I?

Sorry?

Rewbell, she's called.

Found it working

on the beach

with the other donkeys

down Barry Island.

Keeping it on the bloody

allotment, I heard.

You mean, you've actually gone

and bought a mare?

Gotta find

the right stallion now.

Seen a couple

I like the look of.

Yeah?

You got the ten grand

for the stud fees, have you?

Vet's charges,

stabling, insurance?

And that's all before it starts racing.

If it ever does.

But I read up about it.

There's ways of doing these

things, isn't there?

We set up a syndicate.

'Cause if, say,

20 people in the village

put in a tenner a week

for two years.

I mean, I know

it's complicated, but...

Yeah, it is.

But most people in the village

haven't got two beans

to rub together.

It's normally wealthy, professional

men who go in for this kind of thing.

Bring them over,

would you?

I wasn't asking for

your help, anyway.

Right.

And that's what I'm doing.

I'm going to kick you out.

Don't judge me, Jan.

They're my only solace.

Have a look at that.

What do you think?

Sorry, Jan,

no call for it these days.

Not since that scandal

with the lasagne.

Happily take those geese

off your hands, mind.

Dead or alive.

The tax compliance

framework for Sinclair Beatty.

Need that done by 3:00.

And I need this one done

by lunchtime.

It's that fella

from the club.

All right.

I, uh... I thought maybe I

was a bit hasty in the club.

Lucky I've got

thick skin, then.

This is Brian.

But you can

call me Daisy.

Just as I thought. Having to beat

them back at the door, are you?

Very funny, Gerwyn.

Well, Jan, no one can say

you didn't try, love.

One more minute, Brian.

Your missus know

you're doing this, Howard?

No danger of losing your house

with this non-starter.

Evening, all. Gerwyn.

I'm fully briefed and ready to

assess the viability of this venture.

Maureen!

Glad you could make it.

Nothing on the telly.

I just gotta say,

I know absolutely sod all

about racehorses.

That's all right, Maureen.

I've done the research for all of us.

- Well, well.

- Hi, Goose.

- All right.

- Have a seat.

- Goose, is it?

- Yeah.

- Howard.

- Nice to meet you.

- Goose.

- Maldwyn.

I'd have been in sooner,

only I had to de-gunge the mincer.

You can't mix your meats.

Take a seat, Nerys.

Sorry, Howard.

Got totally lost, mate.

Hello. Peter.

Daisy.

Bloody satnav tried to

send us into the lake.

Oh, they will do that, yes.

Peter and Gordon,

mates from work.

And this is Kev,

he's my neighbor.

Right.

Welcome, everyone.

Let's crack on.

God's sake.

If you lot are good enough

to own a bloody racehorse,

so am I.

- It's a tenner every week, Kerby, you pillock.

- Oh.

So...

the purpose of this meeting...

Brian, have you got 50p?

Where's the

organization in this place?

There you go, love.

No one touch my tenner.

- Oh, yes.

- There you go. Bob's your uncle.

Not sure

I understood that last point.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I still

don't quite understand.

Jan is the owner

of the mother, yes?

When the foal is born,

then everyone will be the owners.

We'll all have

an equal share.

So, who would take

the critical decisions?

Which critical decisions?

The horse's diet, for example.

Look here.

"Racehorses should be given a

high-energy feed rich in nutrients.

Excess consumption of grass may

lead to colic and flatulence."

We'll have enough of that with Kerby.

But this foal doesn't exist yet.

So who's the daddy?

Bien Bien, he's called.

American.

Ten year old, won 2.3 million

dollars before he retired.

They wanted three grand stud fee,

but I knocked them right down.

- Which we will pay.

- Gonna rob a bank, are you, Daisy?

Which we will pay

out of our retirement fund,

until the syndicate is up and

running and can reimburse us.

One thing

I must stress, above all else.

If you do join, don't do it

expecting to make money.

There's a less than one percent chance

this horse will ever win a race.

So, do it for the "hwyl."

That's what this is all about.

You mean like,

the "craic"?

With respect, the "hwyl" is

not the same as the "craic."

The "craic"

is a Gaelic term,

whereas the "hwyl" comes

from the Brythonic branch

of the Celtic languages

and means "a feeling

of emotional motivation

and energy."

Right.

I'll do it

for the "hwyl."

Of course I will.

Yeah, go on.

We'll both do it for the...

- What's it called again?

- The "hwyl."

English.

Yeah.

In.

- Yes.

- Yeah, me too.

In.

Gerwyn?

Well...

if there's gonna be

a circus in town,

may as well have

a ringside seat.

Mrs. Vokes?

- I'm James.

- Sorry we're late.

Oh, that's all right.

This won't take long.

Bien Bien

doesn't mess about.

Oh, God,

he's handsome, though.

And this is Rewbell.

I'm not gonna lie. One of us has

left a present in the corner.

Come on then, girl.

What do you think?

Here we go. Yeah.

Well, Bien Bien is known to

upgrade his mares.

- Go get him, girl.

- Brian.

We should have watched.

Would you like

to be watched?

I'm not a stallion.

You can

say that again.

I've had my moments,

haven't I?

Still, having a bit of fun

now, aren't we?

Never knew how much I missed

messing about with horses.

It's more than "a bit of fun"

and "messing about," Brian.

Yeah.

What do you mean?

I don't know. I mean...

I need something to look forward

to when I get up in the morning.

To remind me

that things can... change.

That was good cover!

I hope he bought her

a drink first!

What are you

looking at?

What do you want,

then? Eh?

What do you want?

Oh, I know.

I know. It's my mints

you're after, isn't it?

Eh? You only want me

for my mints.

Brian?

Oh, my God. I said!

Didn't I say it'd be

this week? I'm on my way.

Jan.

Jan, can I have

a word?

Jan!

Hello.

Oh, God, he's gorgeous,

isn't he?

Hello.

Where's Rewbell?

We've lost her, love.

I come down first thing

and the foal had been born.

There he was,

bright as a button.

But I could see straightaway

that Rewbell wasn't right.

So I called Ron and...

There was nothing we could do,

was there, Ron?

Lovely, isn't he?

Maureen. Goose.

I wasn't sure we should

carry on after Rewbell.

Poor old girl.

But look at him.

He's a real fighter.

Will you look at that.

What about Foal Throttle?

- Butcher's Boy.

- Daisy Chain.

- Lost Youth.

- Colt Leader.

- Don't Tell The Missus.

- Welsh Wind!

Kerby's the expert

on Welsh wind.

What about Colin?

After Colin Jackson.

I used to love seeing him

fly over those hurdles.

What about Dream Alliance?

It's our dream

and we're all in it together,

like an alliance,

so Dream Alliance.

- Very good.

- I like that, Jan. That's good.

Nah.

Let's have a vote.

"Cefn Rocket,"

three votes.

- "Kerby," one vote.

- Worth a shot.

"Dream Alliance," 12 votes.

Hey!

So, I am completely chuffed

to the bollocks

to announce the winner

is Dream Alliance!

Dream Alliance!

- Dream Alliance!

- Dream Alliance!

- Go on, Dream.

- Go on, Dreamy boy.

So, you got a name.

Dream Alliance.

What do you think?

One time when I was a girl,

Dad and me took Sammy and Murphy,

our whippets, to a dog show in Pontypridd.

Didn't think we had a hope in hell,

us nobodies from the back of beyond.

But we got first

and second prize.

Dad was so proud of me.

Took me for a milk shake at

Gambarini's café after to celebrate.

Mmm. Seemed like anything

was possible.

Hungry are you, boy?

There you go, boy.

This driveway's

longer than our high street.

Are you sure

about this, love?

Philip Hobbs is the

best trainer in the country.

This is where

Dream should be.

Hello?

Well, you've missed the turning.

It's a mile back down the road.

No, mate, no. I've come about

the position of trainee jockey.

- Pardon?

- We've made an appointment with Mr. Hobbs.

Uh... I'm afraid the

guv'nor's with an owner.

- Let's get him out, Brian.

- Aye.

- Guv'nor?

- Excuse me.

They say they've

got an appointment?

I'm afraid I know

nothing about this.

Howard arranged an appointment

with your office.

- Who's Howard?

- Howard Davies. Helps me run our syndicate.

Come on, then, boy.

Come on, let's show them.

This is our boy.

Dream Alliance.

You've actually brought

the horse with you?

I'm sorry. I'm busy right now.

If an appointment was made,

it would have only been

for a preliminary chat

so you could view the facilities

and discuss our charges.

I know about your charges and I'm

sorry we didn't come in a helicopter.

We'll take

our custom elsewhere.

Brian.

Come on, boy.

Back to the valleys for us.

Look, you've obviously

come a long way.

Johnson, get the horse saddled

up and put him in the arena.

I'll give you

an honest opinion.

Brian.

- What?

- Get him out.

Come on, boy. Come on.

Calm. Come on, boy.

Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

With a bit of work...

be worth giving him a crack at

your local gymkhana. Good luck.

Come on. Walk on.

He's not having it, Jan.

Come on, boy.

Walk on. Come on.

Come on, lad.

Come on.

Come on. Come on, boy.

Walk on.

Come on. That's it.

Come on.

Come on. Good boy.

Good boy.

Guv'nor?

Well?

He's pretty rough

around the edges...

but he's definitely got

something about him.

It's...

spirit.

Character.

Like his owners.

We'll take him for a couple

of months, see what we can do.

- No promises.

- Thank you. That's all I wanted.

Johnson will sort you out with a

stable and we'll go from there.

I'll miss you, Dream.

I'll be thinking of you

every day.

This is what

you were born to do.

Be brave and brilliant.

Okay.

Walk on.

Hello?

Any news

about your pony, love?

Racehorse, Mam.

- No, nothing.

- Oh, thank you.

Howard calls occasionally and all they

say is they're still assessing him.

A horse

raised on an allotment

has got a cat in hell's chance

of ever racing.

Howard says while they've still got

him, there's hope.

Brian had a horse once, didn't he?

Lovely big teeth it had.

Now, he hasn't got

the horse, or the teeth.

- Let me, Brian. You get off home.

- It's damp.

Well, a fat

lot of use he was.

He can't help

his arthritis.

He could have helped getting our Janet

in the family way when she was only 17.

It's been 30 years, Dad.

Can you just leave it, now?

Hello?

We're going to the races.

- What?

- Philip Hobbs just e-mailed us.

But he's gonna put Dream in

a bumper race for beginners.

Oh, my God,

he's gonna race?

Our horse is gonna race!

Right, I'm off!

Was Davina okay with you

taking the day off?

Oh, yeah. Not to worry, love.

All taken care of.

How come you're leaving

so early, anyway?

Chepstow's not that far.

Well, Kev and I just wanted

to make a real day of it.

You know,

savor the atmosphere.

Have a couple of bevvies

and a bar snack.

Ta, love.

You still haven't told Angela

about all this?

You know,

I'll let her know in time.

She'll be absolutely fine

with it.

- Good luck, Jan!

- Thanks, lovely!

John!

- Here he comes!

- Fine figure of a man.

Slept in, did we, Kerby?

No, no.

You're not sitting here.

Your flies are undone.

The cage may be open,

but the beast is asleep.

Room for two more?

- Oh, the dynamic duo.

- We are off to the races!

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

Oh, I haven't been

so excited

since Wales beat England

that day at Wembley!

Shat on them, we did!

Here we go, here we go!

What a sight.

The jockeys are so small.

Come on, everyone.

Owners' and trainers' bar, here we come.

I suppose

we should put a bet on.

Yeah, 10-to-1

Kerby gets drunk.

Do you know how to make

a small fortune out of horses?

Start with a large fortune.

Sorry, sir.

Owners only.

I am a bloody owner.

- May I look in your bag?

- You haven't asked to look in their bags.

You can't bring alcohol

onto the course.

Who says I've got alcohol?

Cheese sandwiches, that's all.

He's gonna

get us all chucked out.

All right, then.

- Bloody knew it.

- Come on, mate.

Look out.

Welsh champagne.

Be here all day.

You'll be pissing

like a racehorse.

Come on.

Never mind him. Come on.

Classy in here,

ain't it? Nice soft lighting.

All the big knobs are in here.

I seem to have

misplaced mine.

Strictly no admission into the

owners' enclosure without a pass.

Ooh, finger food, is it?

- Some for later?

- Brian.

They're free, love.

Oh, here he is.

Had to get Philip Hobbs

to vouch for me, didn't I?

How about this, eh?

Do you think that Clare Balding

off the telly will be here?

38 quid,

the cheeky buggers!

That'd buy a drink

for the whole

bloody room in my club.

Look, look, look.

It's Lord Avery.

He owns White Knight and Conquering Hero.

And most of Oxfordshire.

Pals, are we?

We're Lord Snooty's

bloody equal today.

- Oh, look out. He's off again.

- Ooh...

I'm sorry.

Have we met?

We have now, butt.

Tempt you to a can?

It's nice to share a drink

with a fellow owner, isn't it?

Ah, you're an owner.

How many?

Well, there's

about 20 of us.

All right!

I mean, how many horses

do you own?

- Just the one.

- Excellent. Enjoy it.

A little tip

before the race.

Ah, go on.

If you're using the gents,

give the first cubicle

a few minutes.

And

the horses for the bumper race

are making their way

to the paddock.

- Here we go.

- We're up next.

- Everyone got your bets on?

- Yeah.

Wait. We must have a toast.

That's right.

To us.

To us.

To Dream.

To Dream.

Come on.

We're

moving on here at Chepstow.

The conditions are good,

so we should have

quite a tussle

in this race for beginners.

Jockeys are mounting and they're

making their way down to the start.

So, he's there. He's up on

the big screen. There he is.

Oh, look, there he is.

They're all on the racecourse

and should be good to go.

Horses are circling

at the starting line.

Number six, Inarco,

in the purple and orange.

Dream Alliance, number three,

in the red and white.

And Forgive Me Mary,

an impressive winner at Kelso.

A bit reluctant to join the others

at this stage is Dream Alliance.

He's become a bit playful

down at the start.

Oh, God.

Tapes are across.

Starter's getting up there.

Perhaps they'll have to

go around again and walk in.

Hopefully with Dream Alliance.

He doesn't look happy.

His first race.

Bound to be a bit edgy.

Edgy? He's facing

the wrong way.

Let's see if he settles down.

If he keeps going in that direction,

he'll end up back in the village.

- They are under orders.

- Turn around, boy.

Dream Alliance still having

a bit of bother.

- Will he let them go?

- Turn him around!

Turn him around!

He's at the back! Look!

He can't let them go, can he?

Turn around. Come on.

Turn around, man!

They've all gone!

He'll be in front

if he waits for

the next race to start.

Come on!

It's a disastrous start

for Dream Alliance.

He's about ten lengths

behind the pack.

I hope you're gonna

give us a refund, Jan.

Come on, Dream, boy.

- Come on.

- He's miles behind the others.

Then on the inside,

Forgive Me Mary.

And still trailing by six,

possibly eight lengths,

is Dream Alliance looking very

green at the back of the pack.

Even Daisy could run faster.

It was fun

while it lasted.

Come on, Dreamy boy,

you can do it.

Mate, what a waste of money!

Inarco and Forgive Me Mary

in the middle of the field.

Look at him now.

He's found the accelerator.

Clawing back some ground

is Dream Alliance.

He's our boy!

Come on, lad.

Come on, my boy.

He's coming! He's coming!

Dream Alliance pushes forward.

And he's on Inarco's heels now.

And as Cornell goes for broke,

Penelope Star in second.

Inarco slips back.

Go on, Dream.

Dream Alliance battles

his way into fourth.

Go on, Dream!

Come on, Dream!

Dream Alliance

making a real challenge

to get amongst

the top three.

Come on!

Cornell takes it,

second Penelope Star.

High And Clear in third.

And Dream Alliance coming in

a strong fourth place.

Fourth! Fourth! Fourth!

I had him down for fourth!

Yes! I won 20 quid!

No bloody chips!

Well done, my boy.

Your mam would have been

so proud of you.

We're gonna need

a bigger bus!

Hi, love. How's things?

Angela?

You promised me you'd never,

ever even think of doing it again.

You can't possibly have forgotten

what it was like last time.

Coming this close

to losing the house.

Having to raid the kids' uni fund

to pay off the mortgage arrears.

All for some bloody horse.

And worst of all,

you've lied to me, Howard.

I know.

I shouldn't have lied.

I swore I'd leave you if you

ever got into another syndicate.

And I've learnt my lesson,

and this won't get out of hand, I promise.

I'm gonna have those words

written on your bloody gravestone.

It's completely different

this time.

There's a few of us just

chipping in a tenner a week

to have a bit of fun.

That's all it is.

Nothing is more important

to me than you.

This family.

Well, you have to make

your own choices.

But I don't want

anything to do with it.

And if you dare jeopardize

what we've got again...

And that was when I pinched

Dai Fats' prized cock!

Have a look at this!

We made

the front page of the Argus!

Must be building a

tidy balance in the bank now.

Aye, all that prize money, but no

mention of when we'll see any of it.

You must be a witch, Jan Vokes.

Gotta be some reason you got so lucky.

We'll win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, one day.

I swear we will.

Come on.

Let's go play some dominos.

No, let's have

a game of darts.

Hello, gorgeous.

How are you doing?

You're looking lovely.

The other day at work I spent two

hours stacking tinned sweet corn.

And all I could

think about was...

Well...

All my life...

I've never been me.

I've been Elsie's daughter,

Dennis and Sasha's mother...

or Daisy's wife.

But watching you race...

I'm Jan.

Mrs. Vokes.

Don't wanna disturb you.

- I'm sorry.

- Sorry for what? He's your horse.

Anyway, glad you dropped by.

Got some news for you.

Really? Newbury?

- Where's the owners' bar, then?

- There, boy.

My God, Howard.

You weren't wrong.

This really is something else.

Have any of you spotted Clare Balding?

She must be around somewhere.

- There's a rumor Mick Jagger's here.

- Ooh.

Not that I'm

bothered, mind.

I suppose

you're used to this,

hanging out

with the big knobs.

- How do you mean?

- That's what you do all day, isn't it?

Telling them rich buggers

how they can avoid paying tax.

Bit more complicated

than that, Kerby.

I call it legalized

robbery, myself.

I've just had a pee next to

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

I told him I thought Evita was a far

superior work to Phantom of the Opera.

Right, so look here.

Dream's still way out

at 16-to-1.

Fearless Pursuit is massive odds-on.

He's one of His Lordship's horses.

He's won the last

nine out of ten races.

This time he really is

up against the big boys.

And she bred the damn horse

on an allotment!

An allotment!

It's almost time

for the main event here

at Newbury Festival,

the King Edward Challenge

over two miles.

Lord Avery's horse, Fearless

Pursuit, is the bookies' favorite,

hoping for

yet another victory.

He's shaping up to be

a true legend of the track.

- You all right, girl?

- It's a big race, Brian.

Hurdles and everything. He's never

done that on a course this size.

Out next is My Heaven, in the light

blue, followed by reigning champion,

Fearless Pursuit, number four,

in yellow and lilac.

Owned, of course,

by Lord Avery.

And the horse raised on

an allotment, Dream Alliance,

number three, in the

red and white striped cap.

The horses taking a look

at the first hurdle

in the King Edward Challenge.

A wide range of experience

amongst our runners today.

For some of them, this is

their first time over jumps.

- They're being called back now.

- Come on, then, boy.

And they'll soon

be good to go.

- There we go.

- Come on, hurry up.

Dream Alliance

yet to win a race.

Fearless Pursuit looking

every inch the aristocrat.

Trained at

the Berkshire court stables,

let's see if Fearless Pursuit

can reign victorious again.

I think we're good to go for this

famous race. The flag is raised.

I've got sweaty palms. Feel.

Bunched nearly together.

It's a pretty good start.

Chauncey Lad taking

the early lead at the front.

A certain amount of jockeying

for position in behind.

Now muscling

past Spring Morning

is Lord Avery's

Fearless Pursuit, number four,

asserting his dominance early as

they approach the first hurdle.

My Heaven in third, then Kelly's

Nan, then Justice Jones

and Dream Alliance right

in the middle of the pack.

First jump,

always a challenge.

The leaders are over,

followed by the rest of the pack.

Good job!

Fearless Pursuit and Spring

Morning, neck and neck

as they come over the next hurdle.

That's a nasty fall.

Jeanguin, out of the race.

Both rider and horse up on their feet.

That's good to see.

Dream Alliance takes it pretty smoothly.

Setting a fast pace

is Fearless Pursuit,

who won this race in

commanding fashion last year.

They approach the next jump.

Dream Alliance inching his way

up the pack.

Come on.

You can do this, boy.

Come on, my boy!

Dream Alliance muscles past

and finds his way into fourth

as they round the far bend.

Oh, my God, he's doing it!

Heading round

to the final straight.

Dream Alliance

giving all he's got.

Come on, Dream!

Come on, my boy!

Dream Alliance

showing real spirit.

The boy from the valleys scrapping his

way past My Heaven and Spring Morning,

letting Fearless Pursuit know he's

got a real fight on his hands.

Dream Alliance threatening the

reigning champion, Fearless Pursuit.

This is now a two-horse race

as they take the second last.

Come on, Dream!

They're safely

over the last hurdle.

It's a titanic battle.

He's gonna do it!

Dream Alliance pulls ahead

of Fearless Pursuit.

- He's gonna do it!

- This rank outsider

digging deep

and showing his class.

We did not see this coming!

Fight back! Come on, boy!

Could we be witnessing

the arrival of a new champion?

The young novice is powering ahead,

a length clear. Now two lengths!

Dream Alliance, he smells victory.

Untouchable now as he pulls ahead.

And wins!

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Dream Alliance stealing the

crown from Fearless Pursuit

in a remarkable turnaround

here at Newbury.

They'll be dancing

in the Welsh valleys tonight.

Please welcome

to the winner's enclosure

the King Edward Challenge

champion, Dream Alliance!

Not on my hat!

We are so proud of you.

So proud.

And now it's time to present

the Challenge Cup to Janet Vokes

and the Alliance Partnership.

Is that real gold?

And not forgetting, of

course, the check for £26,250!

Split evenly.

Of course.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Bad luck about your

Fearless Pursuit, butt.

Has it occurred to you this might

be time to take a tidy profit?

How do you mean?

I'm prepared to make

a substantial offer.

Oh, God.

I'd never sell him. Never.

You haven't

heard the offer yet.

I wouldn't sell him

for 500 million.

Well, if you change

your mind.

Hang on a minute.

That's not right.

What, the idea

of selling Dream?

No, it's bloody

ridiculous.

No, I mean him offering

to buy him off Jan.

The horse belongs

to all of us.

Correct. Any financial offer

should be put formally

to the syndicate

for consideration.

We're not selling him

and that's that.

With respect, Jan,

that's not for you to say.

Are you deaf,

Gerwyn, or what?

She's just bloody said it.

Legally she has

no right to.

But morally

she has every right.

Surely we can

all agree about that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Come on, boys.

Let's just celebrate our win.

Oi, Rossi,

feet off the chairs.

It's absolute pandemonium in here.

I don't recognize half this lot.

I know. Once upon a time,

people didn't even want to admit

they came from this village.

Now half the valleys

reckon they live here.

How much do you reckon Lord Snooty

would have offered us for Dream?

Tens, maybe hundreds

of thousands.

Thanks for standing up

for me before.

That's okay.

We both know

this has always been about

something much more

important than money.

...e-mail you sent yesterday

to Sinclair Beatty.

Care to read it?

"Just quit moaning

and pay up, you bastards."

They had a tax bill. I'm a tax advisor.

I advised them to pay it.

You know, Howard, I've started to wonder

lately why you came into this profession.

Oh, you're not

the only one.

'Cause I have no idea why I

sit behind this desk all day,

helping rich bastards,

who can well afford to pay their share,

save millions in tax

while people out there can barely

afford to put food on their tables.

You know, it's...

legalized robbery.

Howard, mate.

Has to be something better

I can do with my life.

He's taking the lamp.

Why is he taking the lamp?

Resigned?

What were you thinking?

I wasn't thinking.

That's the whole point. I was just...

It's what I feel.

It's what I felt for years.

I can't do that job anymore.

This is that bloody horse

again, isn't it?

Being involved with Jan and

the syndicate has made me feel

like I'm part of something important

for the first time in years.

And it's bloody fabulous.

It's selfish!

And it's reckless!

I can work it out.

We'll manage.

Oh, how exactly?

On my wages?

So, I've been talking to Philip,

and he reckons Dream's bouncing,

in the form of his life.

Howard reckons it's partly that

new probiotic food they got him on.

And they've got him in that

new equine swimming pool.

Dream absolutely loves it,

apparently.

Howard says swimming is brilliant

for building up muscle strength

in the hindquarters.

Brian?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

Come on, spit it out.

I miss him, is all... Dream.

It's stupid, isn't it? Missing

something I didn't even know I wanted.

No, it's not stupid.

But still...

that's the way life is.

I shouldn't grumble.

But life's not like that, Brian.

That's the whole point.

There's a whole world

out there you don't see

because you're just sat

watching the telly.

You what?

Look, when Dream arrived...

I saw you light up.

Look, I know you miss him.

But don't just...

settle back into

your old ways again.

I shouldn't have said

anything.

I don't mind really.

I'm happy enough.

No, Brian, you're always "happy

enough." You lost your job,

you said, "Never mind, another one

will come along." And it never did.

You got arthritis, you said, "Oh, well,

we all get old and ill sooner or later."

I mean, when I first met you,

you were a fighter.

And now

you just accept things.

You don't fight anymore.

So, what your dad said

was right.

You could have done

a lot better for yourself.

So I can evade tax,

but I can't avoid it.

Other way around, Nerys.

Avoid, not evade.

- Evasion they don't like.

- Got it. Um...

things are a little tight

cash-wise these days, so...

best sirloin.

- Cheers, Nerys.

- Enjoy.

- Oh. Hello, Nerys.

- Jan.

It's looking very smart,

Howard.

Well, the refurbishment

is, um, ongoing.

How come, though?

You had a good job in Cardiff, didn't you?

Uh, well, I realized

I couldn't do it anymore.

And I wasn't gonna live a life

of lost chances like my dad.

- What happened to him?

- Uh...

ran away from home at 14 with a

dream of being a famous jockey.

Lied about his age,

got a job at a racing stables.

The coppers tracked him

down, bought him home.

Became a lifer

at the steelworks and...

that was that.

"Don't let them crush your

dreams," he used to say.

And at least I've had plenty of time to

keep on top of the syndicate finances.

Believe it or not, we're showing an

overall profit of about a hundred grand.

Good God.

I never in

a million years thought

we'd make

this kind of money.

That's not

the only good news.

Philip Hobbs wants to race

Dream at Aintree on Saturday.

- Oh, my God.

- I know, I know.

- A wedding, is it?

- No, Mam.

It's two of

the yellow ones, Dad.

- I've taken two.

- No, you've only taken the white.

Sasha?

Is our Sasha getting married?

No, Mam. I told you.

I'm off to Aintree

'cause Dream's racing there.

Aintree!

Bert, did you hear that?

We'll watch it on the telly, Jan.

We love doing that.

I need you to pick up my

prescription from the chemist.

Is that all

you can say, Dad?

- What?

- The horse I bred

is racing in the biggest

meet in the calendar,

and that's all

you can say?

I'll see you later.

Welcome to Aintree,

where we've got a record-breaking

attendance on the course

of 75,000 people

here to celebrate the very

best of British racing.

The going is good as the horses gather

at the starting line for the next race.

A three-mile, half-a-furlong

handicap over hurdles.

There he is!

Looking good.

All right, Daisy?

Tidy enough, thanks.

Horses coming out onto the

course led by Real Charmer,

very much on his toes,

keen to get on with things,

alongside Aurora's Encore,

a winner here just two days ago.

Dream Alliance,

in his now-familiar red and white colors,

is number three on your card,

and number one is According To Pete.

Come on, then, boy.

Hey, he's looking good.

Over there, look.

Come on, Dreamy!

Starter is

calling them forward.

I've got a good feeling

about this one.

Come on, Dream!

Flag is up.

And they're off and racing.

So, the field leave the tapes

bunched together.

Buena Vista,

the first one to show...

Take it easy.

Good start.

Dream Alliance challenging

According To Pete,

racing in

the blue and white colors,

currently in

the middle of the field.

Come on, Dreamy boy.

Deep Focus

edges past Buena Vista now,

while Dream Alliance

tries to make ground

on the outside

of According To Pete.

Deep Focus is out of the race.

Takes a pretty hefty fall.

Horse and jockey look okay...

- Is he up?

- ...and quickly on their feet.

Come on, Dream!

...as they approach

the next flight of hurdles.

Dream Alliance is jumping

with real confidence now.

- Come on, Dream. Come on, boy!

- He's up into third place,

chased hard

by both Superior Wisdom,

- and then comes Aurora's Encore.

- Come on, Dream!

Come on, Dream!

Dream Alliance now just

a length and a half behind.

Dream Alliance and According

to Pete neck and neck.

Nothing between these two

as they take the next.

And the field

head round the final bend.

Buena Vista continues

to lead the way.

According To Pete

on his outside.

Superior Wisdom in third and

behind them Aurora's Encore.

Where's Dream?

I can't see him, either.

Howard, can you

see anything?

He's not there.

- Can you see him?

- Oh, Jesus.

Oh, what's happening?

Let me see.

They're putting screens

around him.

Means they're gonna

shoot him, don't it?

Stay calm, everyone.

The vet's arrived.

They can't shoot him.

If his leg's broken

they'd have to, Jan.

Okay, I'm calling Philip.

What are they saying?

Pick up, Philip, pick up.

Philip?

Put him on speaker.

- Philip, what's happening?

- They can't tell how bad it is,

but it looks like

he's severed a tendon.

That's serious, isn't it?

If confirmed,

then he'd never run again.

- Philip?

- Yeah. Hold on.

Oh, please, God, we can't lose him.

We can't lose him. We can't.

It's kinder to put

a horse down immediately

in these circumstances,

you know.

Whoa! Stand clear!

Hello, Howard?

Vet thinks the tendon

may not be

completely severed

and there's a chance

it could be repaired.

Then try, for God's sake! If there's

the faintest chance of saving him!

I have to warn you,

if the tendon can't be repaired,

he'd still have to be

euthanized.

- Right, Philip.

- And if we remove him from the course

and the operation

does fail,

you'd lose

the insurance money

and, of course,

face substantial bills.

Philip, we don't have time.

I really need an answer.

Well, how much

is he insured for?

Currently,

120 thousand pound.

Maybe we need

to discuss this.

No, there's nothing to discuss.

What's there to discuss?

Well, 120 grand, to start with.

That's a hell of a lot of money.

Look, he belongs

to all of us,

and any decision about

what happens to him

should be taken

collectively.

- It's a fair point.

- Yeah, but...

Like it should have been that day

Lord Avery offered to buy him.

You're not still on

about that, Gerwyn?

- Wait. Listen.

- This is a syndicate, isn't it?

He's suffering and all alone!

Everybody be quiet

and just listen to Janet!

Look, before Dream...

who were we?

Gerwyn?

Kerby?

We lost our jobs,

our community.

Even lost our pride.

And then Dream came along

and reminded us all what life

is like when you have hope.

Dream's out on that course

in agony,

his life hanging by a thread,

and you're talking about

putting a gun to his head

so you can have a couple

of grand in your pockets.

Too bloody right.

Dream's never asked us

for anything before.

- He's just given us his all.

- Yeah.

Dream has given me

a second chance.

He's given us all

a second chance.

And now...

I think we need to

give him one.

- Fair enough.

- Yeah.

Right.

Philip.

Tell them they gotta do whatever

they can to try and save him.

Steady! Steady, Dream.

Anything?

Brian, I...

It's...

It's all right, girl.

Dream's had an accident.

They've been operating on him

through the night.

Philip? What's the news?

I see.

Right.

Okay, thanks.

Well?

We hope he'll be able

to walk again.

But you do understand,

the chances of him racing again

are virtually nonexistent.

All I care about

is he gets well.

And if the tendon

won't heal and he's lame,

well, then we'll have to

consider his quality of life.

Hello.

God, Dream.

You had me worried.

Thank you.

Mrs. Davies?

Angela?

I'm Jan.

From the syndicate.

Oh, right.

Hi.

How's Howard?

Haven't seen him in a while.

Not since what happened

with Dream.

Yes, I heard.

I was, um, so sorry

about his accident.

Thanks. He's alive.

That's the main thing.

Yes.

Well, I...

I just, um...

wanted to say I think

it's brilliant...

supporting Howard the way you did

with the syndicate and everything.

I mean, after the last time,

a lot of wives wouldn't have done that.

It wasn't until he told me that

story about his dad running away

and becoming a jockey

that I really understood why

this mattered to him so much.

But I guess

you knew that all along.

Yes.

Well, thanks.

That's £18.90, please.

Thanks.

- Brian?

- Listen, Jan. It's your dad.

I'm sorry. I've called

an ambulance, but...

I'm two minutes away.

Well, there he is.

Oh, good God.

You said he could walk.

But is he really up to being ridden?

Oh, he's going

pretty well, isn't he?

Well done, boy.

Unbelievable!

My God.

- I swear he winked at me.

- It's miraculous.

The stem cell treatment

was a complete success.

The vet thinks

the tendon's stronger now

than before the injury.

He's running faster than ever.

How come you never mentioned

he was coming on so well?

Didn't want to raise any false

hopes until we were sure.

Of what?

We think he's ready

to race again.

- You're joking.

- We're thinking The Welsh National.

- That would be incredible.

- But after all he's been through...

I need to be sure

it's what you want.

I can't bear the thought

of him risking his life again!

I just don't think we can take the risk.

Not after all that's happened.

But it'd be the comeback

of all comebacks!

That's rich. You were ready

to write him off.

- We'd all written him off.

- You saw him on the gallops.

And you heard what Philip Hobbs said.

It's miraculous.

I mean, surely it's a sign.

Dream wants to keep going.

- He lives to race.

- It's in his blood, innit?

Out on that track,

when he was hurt,

you said we owed him a chance

because of what he'd done for us.

What was that chance for if

not to let him race again?

But not at The Welsh Grand National.

It's too dangerous.

Tell him, Brian.

It's just too big a risk.

I would, Jan.

But I can see

what they're saying.

How could you?

That's why I'm single, see?

Jan.

- I thought you cared about Dream.

- I do.

Of course I care about him.

When Dream come along,

took me right back to when I was young.

Wanting to be a farmer.

All those hopes

I'd given up on.

And it hurt like hell when he

went to live at the stables.

Almost as much as it hurt

when he fell at Aintree.

You spoke for him then,

when he couldn't.

But if Dream was here now

and he could speak...

...he'd tell you

he wants to race.

It's in his blood.

You know I'm right.

Let him run, Jan.

I just can't bear the thought

of him getting hurt again.

I know.

But you were right.

We can't stop ourselves from

dreaming of bigger things.

Come on, love.

Come on.

There you go.

See ya.

Hey, Kerby.

Where's your glad rags?

You better get a shift on,

mate, or you'll miss the coach.

I'm not going.

Can't afford it, butt.

You gotta come.

Come, we'll have a whip-round.

Bugger off. I'll put the money

I'm saving by not going on Dream.

Twenty quid,

Dream Alliance to win.

I'll watch it in the club

with a pint in my hand.

Now, you tell our boy

to run the race of his life.

Right, I'm off.

Why are you all...

We thought we might come along, too.

What the hell is that?

What do you reckon?

Angela and the kids in there.

Howard, you're lying down in the hearse.

I couldn't fit you all in the coach!

We had to think laterally!

- Come on. Follow me.

- In you go, love.

It's gonna be all right,

isn't it?

- Good luck, Jan.

- Cheers, John.

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

Is it starting?

Yeah, it's starting now.

- Excuse me...

- Let us watch this!

I should never have said yes to putting

these bets on for the boys in the club.

You start down that end.

Tenner each on Dream Alliance to win.

Sharpish.

We can't miss the anthem.

Welcome, everyone, to Chepstow

to the greatest day

in the Welsh race calendar,

the day of the Welsh Grand National!

And welcome back to the course

from a serious injury,

from the valleys,

Dream Alliance!

And to his breeder,

Janet Vokes.

And now please join with that great

voice of Wales, Katherine Jenkins,

in the singing of

the Welsh National Anthem.

Go on, my boy!

Oh, my God,

is that Rod Stewart?

Oh, he never misses the Welsh.

The horses circling

now, raring to race.

There they are.

This year's runners and riders

in the Welsh Grand National.

Dream Alliance there. First race

back after a long convalescence.

Looking

a little bit unsettled.

Oh, God, there he is.

His ruptured tendon the cause

of his nerves, perhaps.

Understandable.

Le Beau Bai, number nine,

is the bookies' favorite

after a great year for him.

Tapes go across and we'll be

under starter's orders.

Anxious wait while

the starter raises his flag.

Under starter's orders!

Come on, Dream.

Come on, man.

The flag drops and we're

off on this Welsh Grand National!

A grueling race that has seen

plenty of drama in its time.

Come on, Dream. Go on, boy.

Leading now is Operation

Houdini, in the yellow and black.

Get around safely, eh?

Just get around safely.

Having work to do at the rear of the

pack is Dream Alliance, number three.

Come on, boy!

As they head

into the first bend,

Operation Houdini still holds

his position in the lead.

- He's coming over the rise down there.

- Come on, man.

The pack are now climbing

steeply on this punishing course.

Ahead of them looms the

challenge of the first fence.

Coming to the first now.

Here we are.

Come on, Dream!

Dream Alliance still the back

marker approaching the second fence.

He's got it!

And they're all over clear.

Approaching the far bend,

Operation Houdini slipping away.

Come on, lad.

Come on, my boy.

Dream Alliance looks like

he's making a move!

Muscling through, pushing Cornish

Chef then Nositch out of the way.

- He's away!

- Go, Dream!

The pack rounding the far bend

and Dream Alliance sneaks past

Hello Bud and Old Benny.

Go on, boy!

Look, Jan!

Dream Alliance battling his

way past Operation Houdini

as he barges

into second place!

This is incredible!

Silver By Nature has got a

real scrap on his hands now!

Dream Alliance and Silver

By Nature locked in a duel

as they approach

the second to last.

Come on, boy! Come on!

Dream Alliance tightening every

sinew as they take the final jump.

A slip by Silver By Nature,

and Dream Alliance lands ahead

and steals the lead for the

very first time in the race!

- Yes, yes!

- Come on!

Dream Alliance in first place,

but Silver By Nature

is fighting back!

He's pulling away

from Dream Alliance!

Go, my boy!

Both horses giving it

everything they've got.

- My boy!

- Dream Alliance pulling ahead!

- Go on!

- The boy from the valleys

proving he's up there

with the best in the world!

Go, Dream!

Hey!

First place, Dream Alliance.

A fairy-tale return from injury to

conquer this Welsh Grand National!

Oh, lovely!

Dream, Dream, Dream!

Yay!

I bloody knew he was a

champion right from the start!

You did it.

Hey, well done, girl.

Well done.

Please give a rapturous welcome

to the horse born on an allotment

and now the Welsh Grand National

champion, Dream Alliance!

Come on, Dreamy boy!

You gorgeous, clever,

lion-hearted boy, you.

Well done!

Well done.

I told you

he's got spirit.

Who'd have thought, eh?

Well done.

- Oh, thank you.

- Bloody well done.

Yes!

- Oh, Maldwyn's crying.

- No, I'm not.

Where's Howard?

Howard?

All right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Just needed a moment.

Quiet word with Dad...

about how this win

was for him.

He'd be very proud.

Dream's a beauty, isn't he?

Proper valleys boy.

Hey, best day of my life!

Oh, what a day!

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

- Oggy!

- Oi!

- Oggy!

- Oi!

- Oggy, oggy, oggy!

- Oi, oi, oi!

Whoo-hoo-hoo!