DARK HORSE Crosses the Finish Line on DVD August 23rd

Dark Horse – this year’s extraordinary new documentary about a pub barmaid from a poor Welsh mining town who takes on the “elite sport of kings” and breeds herself an improbable racehorse champion – crosses the DVD & Digital finish line August 23 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The Sony Pictures Classics release, a 2015 Sundance Film Festival winner directed by Louise Ormond (BAFTA nominated for Richard III: The King In The Car Park), won the Festival’s World Cinema Documentary Audience Award and was also premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The film received an outstanding reception from audiences and critics alike, capturing a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and lauded as “heartwarming,” “irresistible,” “exhilarating,” “stirring,” “moving,” “delightful” and “inspiring.” Screendaily’s Allan Hunter concluded, “A heartwarming true story that has been expertly crafted into an irresistible, emotion-charged documentary.”

Dark Horse begins in 2000 in Cefn Forest, a small town in Wales, when Jan Vokes hears one of her pub regulars talking about owning a share of a racehorse. On her way home, Jan ponders, “I’ve bred pigeons; I’ve bred whippets; how hard could it be?”  She convinces 23 friends and neighbors to pool their meager incomes to produce an unlikely foal who grows up to compete against some of the wealthiest horse families in the United Kingdom. Named ‘Dream Alliance’ after the group of investors, the horse suffers a near fatal accident, but then makes a remarkable recovery with the loving help of his owners, ultimately returning to the track for a heart-stopping comeback as a racehorse champion.

 Dark Horse was produced by Judith Dawson and executive produced by Julian Ware, Lizzie Francke, Anna Higgs, Anna Miralis, and Adam Partridge. Director of Photography was Benjamin Kracun; Editor, Joby Gee; Line Producer, Jenny Mauthe. Additional photography was by Roger Chapman and Anne Nikitin was the composer. Special features include a photo gallery.

Synopsis:

Set in Wales, Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends who decide to take on the elite “sport of kings” and breed themselves a racehorse. Raised on a slagheap allotment, their foal grows into an unlikely champion, beating the finest thoroughbreds in the land, before suffering a near fatal accident. Nursed back to health by the love of his owners, he makes a remarkable recovery, returning to the track for a heart-stopping comeback.

Dark Horse has a run time of 86 minutes and is rated PG for some mild thematic elements and language.