Watch Dark Horse

Dark Horse is a 2015 documentary-style movie that captures the heartwarming and inspiring story of a group of working-class people from Wales who raised a racehorse and achieved unexpected levels of success in the sport of kings. The movie is centered around a small village in Wales, where Jan Vokes, a barmaid at a local pub, decides to breed and nurture a racehorse. Jan persuades a group of her friends and neighbors to contribute a small amount of money each week to form a consortium to help raise the foal. This investment was considered a long-shot in the horse racing world, as racehorses are typically owned by wealthy individuals or syndicates.

Jan’s remarkable courage, ambition, and love for animals are infectious, and her consistent efforts eventually lead to breeding a thoroughbred, which she named Dream Alliance. From the beginning, Jan realizes that her horse could not survive in her backyard stables or race on a local track unless she got the support of professional trainers and jockeys. She borrows books from the library, reaches out to experts in the horse racing industry and tries to overcome the challenges that come with owning a racehorse. With the help of Howard Davies, a retired tax advisor who has always loved horses, Jan hires the best trainers and jockeys in the UK and spends countless hours nurturing Dream Alliance. Even though the horse has an injury in one of his legs, the team continues to train him with utmost care under the supervision of the veterinarians.

Jan, Howard, and the rest of the syndicate members, including Jan's own husband, are determined to prove the skeptics wrong and turn Dream Alliance into a contender. They travel to the different parts of the UK for several matches, where everything from the weather to injuries, and other factors sometimes go against them. Despite the obstacles, their dedication and love for the sport and their horse drives them forward, and Dream Alliance defies the odds and becomes one of the most successful racehorses in the UK’s racing history.

The movie captures the breathtaking moments of private upsets and emotional victories of the characters and the bond that develops between them and the horse. Viewers witness the shared joy and tears of every member of the syndicate every time Dream Alliance crosses the finish line. They cheer their horse through every race and echo the sentiments of the characters as they cry tears of happiness at the sight of their beloved Dream Alliance racing to victory.

Dark Horse captures the essence of true passion and teamwork. The story is one of the rags-to-riches, where animals bring people together from diverse backgrounds and offer them hope and a chance for something bigger than themselves. It celebrates the courage of individuals who have the courage to dream big and brings out the beauty of the human spirit that is determined towards achieving something they believe in.

The film was directed by Louise Osmond, a BAFTA and Sundance award-winning British filmmaker, who does an incredible job of bringing the story to light. The way the film is shot adds to the chills and thrills of the horse races, making the audience feel like they are right in there in the stands cheering on this unlikely hero.

In conclusion, Dark Horse is both moving and uplifting, showcasing the human-animal bond and the power of dreams. It is hard to watch this film and not feel happy and inspired by the sheer force of determination and love that the characters in this movie share. This is a film for all ages, a film that will stay with you long after the credits start rolling. It is a reminder that all of us can be “Dark Horses” and that we too can defy the odds and accomplish our goals when we believe in ourselves and work together as a team towards something that we are passionate about.

Dark Horse is a 2016 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 75.