AYR

SUCH is the sophistication of modern technology that a dead-heat in racing is a fairly rare occurrence these days. However, on Saturday the judge was unable to split favourite Son Of Rest and Baron Bolt at the end of a pulsating William Hill Ayr Gold Cup.

The race first took place in 1804 and honours had never been shared before. Such an outcome looked highly unlikely a furlong out as Fozzy Stack’s four-year-old, second in a Group 1 at the Curragh a week before and backed down to 5/1 favourite accordingly, burst clear.

He became the first Irish-trained winner of the famous old race but the extra furlong on heavy ground took its toll and he was joined by Paul Cole’s 28/1 chance Baron Bolt, who led for a stride before the Irish challenger put his head down right on the line. It took five minutes to decide that the pair were inseparable, the minor placings going to Flying Pursuit and Get Knotted, four lengths adrift of the principals.

“I thought I was beaten so it’s nice to half get it,” said Chris Hayes, the jockey on board Son Of Rest. “He’s an out-and-out hold-up horse and as I got there a furlong out I said to myself it was too soon, but he kept going.”

Derby-winning trainer Cole, who does not have the same sort of ammunition these days, was also delighted.

“It was a thrilling finish and a great result for the race,” he said. “He was a little bit unlucky but we’d have settled for that before. He’s a very nice horse and I think he got what he deserved there. He ran over seven furlongs earlier in his career but that was just me getting it wrong.”

Cameron Noble was having his first ride for the trainer and is making the most of ‘outside’ opportunities away from Michael Bell’s Newmarket stable. Things are going particularly well for him this season.

Stack was delighted to saddle the first Irish-trained winner of the famous race. “I thought he’d got back up but coming down from the stands I said to owner Brian Parker that I’d settle for a dead-heat,” he said. “We’ll see how he is and talk it over but maybe, if the ground looks like being in his favour, we’ll supplement him for the British Champions Sprint at Ascot.”

Baron Bolt had won at Goodwood the time before and the close sixth that day, Clive Cox’s Snazzy Jazzy, 11/1, boosted the form by winning last week’s ‘consolation’, the William Hill Silver Cup, by a length and a half from well-backed 6/1 favourite Al Qahwa.

Neither was well away and the winner was baulked at the start but there was still plenty of time to get there in a sprint run in a time six seconds slower than standard.

Young Hector Crouch, more often seen at Brighton and other southern ‘Monday to Thursday’ venues, received the welcome call from Cox.