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Ayr Saturday
Scottish Grand National
THE Scottish Grand National saw Willie Mullins collect all-important prize money not only with the novice Macdermott (Danny Mullins), who landed the £112,540 first prize which puts the British Trainers’ Championship within his grasp, but with Klarc Kent, Ontheropes and Spanish Harlem also picked up minor prize money for finishing fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Macdermott was given a superb ride by Danny Mullins given the gelding’s jumping frailties, and he allowed the six-year-old a good look at his obstacles as he raced prominently but quite wide on the track.
Given a breather at the end of the back straight on the final circuit, Mullins saw a big stride four fences out which MacDermott flew to take the lead. He wasn’t perfect at any of the last three, but his rider held him together and saved a bit for the finish.
It was needed as Surrey Quest (Toby Lawes/Kevin Brogan) rallied very bravely to rejoin the winner close home, but Macdermott had his nose down when it mattered most to prevail by a nose in one of the best finishes in the long history of the race. Git Maker (Jamie Snowden/Gavin Sheehan) was third ahead of a trio of the winner’s stable companions.
Scottish Champion Hurdle
Trainer Alan King has a long association with Ayr, having looked after 1985 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Harry Hastings in his first racing job for local trainer John Wilson, and a winner at this meeting has always brought a smile to his face.
He was beaming broadly, then, when 5/1 chance Favour And Fortune (Tom Cannon) fought back to deny Bialystok (Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) by half a length in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. There was a similar margin back to third-placed Cracking Rhapsody (Ewan Whillans/Craig Nicholl) in third.
Good enough to run in the most recent running of the Supreme, Favour And Fortune belied his inexperience with a classy performance, travelling well throughout and better than the narrow margin despite running around after the final hurdle.
Bialystok was slightly hampered but was ostensibly outstayed having come through to dispute the lead after the last having been given a patient ride. He drifted left as the winner went right late on, and that cost him more ground than any minor interference.
Willie’s day
Even aside from Macdermott’s heroics, it was very much Willie Mullins’ day at Ayr, and while the bookmakers seemed happy to field against his runners, the Closutton handler and stable jockey Paul Townend had a field day with Sharjah winning on his first try at three miles at a generous 7/1, 16/1 chance Chosen Witness taking the novices’ handicap hurdle and 8/11 favourite Quai De Bourbon providing the last leg of a 4,462/1 fourfold.
HAMISH (William Haggas/Tom Marquand) went unbeaten in four 2023 outings at Group 3 level, and the fan favourite – now an eight-year-old – made it five on the bounce when winning the John Porter Stakes, currently run under the Dubai Duty Free banner.
Initially held up behind the pace set by Al Qareem and Arrest, Hamish seemed to idle after getting to the front, allowing the others to close him down, and the 5/2 market leader had just a neck to spare over the rallying Al Qareem (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee) at the line, with Salt Bay only a nose behind the runner-up in a close three-way finish.
Haggas said: I’m delighted as he doesn’t really do a lot in front, and the ground wasn’t really soft enough, but he keeps winning and that’s terrific. Now we have to go up in grade and see if he can cope with that. It will be the Ormonde or the Yorkshire Cup, but he does need soft ground.”
Spring Cup
The Spring Cup, feature handicap on the day, went to Jack Channon’s Metal Merchant (David Probert), who held the strong late challenge of the gambled-on Godwinson (William Haggas) by half a length at 12/1.
A winner at Ascot last season, the four-year-old will now be trained for the Royal Hunt Cup by Channon, who has inherited his father’s knack of winning big handicaps, having taken the Coral Golden Mile last summer with Johan.
“We gelded him over the winter and his work has been exceptional during the spring,” said Channon Jr.
“We thought he would improve a ton and I was quietly confident he would run a nice race, but you never know in these big-field handicaps – you can be on the wrong side, all sorts could happen. That was a very smart performance.
“He’s going to be a nice horse to go for those big mile handicaps and take Johan’s place, who knows. I’d love to leave him now for the Royal Hunt Cup, but we will have to see how much he goes up.”
Newbury Saturday
OWNERS Cheveley Park Stud were just touched off in the Fred Darling, but Esquire (David O’Meara/Danny Tudhope) made up for that defeat by taking the Group 3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes at a juicy SP of 16/1.
There was no hint of a fluke about the result, however, as Esquire quickened well when given the office by Tudhope two furlongs out before comfortably holding off a bunch of runners who fought out minor honours.
In the end, El Bodon (Jane Chapple-Hyam/David Egan) and Zoum Zoum (Ralph Beckett/Rob Hornby) were adjudged to have dead-heated for second place, a length and a quarter behind the winner.
Both the winner and Zoum Zoum are geldings and therefore ineligible for the 2000 Guineas, and the pair look likely to be sent to Royal Ascot for the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes instead, with that Group 2 contest an obvious target for the pair.
“I wasn’t sure he would stay the seven today,” said David O’Meara. “I wouldn’t be certain he would get the seven at Ascot either, but today has opened the option.
“He saw it out well today so I will speak to Chris (racing manager Chris Richardson) and Mrs Thompson and see what they want to do now.”
Dubai Duty Free
A trip to France for the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches looks on the agenda for Folgaria (Marco Botti/Hollie Doyle) after she dug deep to maintain her unbeaten record with a game neck win over Regal Jubilee (John and Thady Gosden/Kieran Shoemark) in the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes.
Folgaria did well to overcome a tardy start and a tendency to race keenly, while 7/4 favourite Relief Rally failed to stay the extended seven-furlong trip and trailed in fourth of the six runners.
Folgaria won all five of her juvenile starts to be crowned champion two-year-old filly in Italy before switching from Botti’s brother Stefano to Newmarket.
Sent off at 5/1 for her UK debut at Newbury, she confirmed all the promise which had shown last season with a hard-fought win up in class.
This was a poignant win for connections, as Botti was attending the funeral of compatriot Stefano Cherchi - who rode 38 winners for the yard as an apprentice - in Sardinia on Saturday, and it was his wife Lucie who supervised the filly at Newbury.
“She won all her races fairly easily last year,” said Lucie. “She’s been pleasing us at home since she joined us and is very straightforward. We absolutely love her, hopefully she can do much better things in the future.
“The immediate plan is likely to be the French Guineas. She could be an international filly.”
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