Tom is feeling smiles better
It’s up with my very best says Eaves
Jockey Tom Eaves’ trademark smile grew and grew and grew on Saturday as the realisation he had won the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup on Brando sunk in.
Tom, who is a real stalwart of the northern racing scene, told me: “These big races aren’t easy to win and it’s brilliant. This up there with anything I’ve ever done.”
And coming from a jockey who rode Tangerine Trees to win the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye, that is praise indeed.
In fact, when Tangerine Trees won that race at Longchamp he was rated 107 – 3lbs less than Brando on Saturday which proves a point trainer Kevin Ryan made after the race.
Kevin, who was saddling his fourth winner in the Gold Cup having previously won with Advanced ( 2007), Our Jonathan ( 2011) and Captain Ramius ( 2012), explained: “This is one of the hardest races to win as it so condensed now you need a 100 rated horse just to get a run.
“One thing about this horse is that he was bringing proper good form into the race – that’s what it takes to win it, you don’t do so with a handicapper anymore.”
Connections will now decide whether Brando, an 11- 1 winner on Saturday, will head to the Prix de l’Abbaye at Chantilly next month or the British Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.
Pete Tingey whose partner Angie Bailey owns Brando told me on Monday: “It looks like Ascot as the ground at Ayr with a little bit of cut was perfect for him. I’m told it could be good to firm in France so we wouldn’t run him if it was quick.
“I’m still giddy with excitement after Saturday but you should see Tom Eaves he’s proper giddy !
“I’ve always wanted one of our horses to win the Ayr Gold Cup. Angie had a dream featuring the numbers two and eight. And when we realised Brando was number two we decided he should run from stall eight.
“Ironically when our horse Astaire won the Gimcrack I had to deliver the speech and I based it on Martin Luther King’s famous I had a dream. Well Angie has now had a dream come true.”
Richard Fahey’s Growl was all the rage during the week and started at the ridiculously short odds of 5- 1 but Tom Eaves kept Brando in the favourite’s slipstream and won comfortably in the end by a length and a quarter.
The scenes in the winners’ enclosure were euphoric. Kevin Ryan’s daughter Amy, engaged to Tom Eaves, wept, as did Angie Bailey, owner of Brando. If anyone doubts the standing of the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup within racing they only needed to look at the joy on the faces of the Kevin Ryan camp.
Brando was the leading man on the biggest stage in Scottish flat racing and the cheers of the huge crowd told their own story. This was a popular winner.