On the Rails
Big Jim’s Sir looks a new stable star
The late show begins at Ayr next Wednesday as we stage the first of four evening fixtures in 2017 – Spring Evening Racenight.
I admit to enjoying evening meetings and traditionally we have had only the one – QTS Ladies Night in August but it’s all change this year as we hold two more in June – June Racenight on the 5th and Tennent’s Racenight on June 23 before the QTS fixture on August 12.
Wednesday’s card has seven races with the opener at 6.10pm a race for lady amateur riders. The usual suspects will be in action here including Carol Bartley, Serena Brotherton, Amy Waugh and Helen Cuthbert.
Rosie Hill, who rode Testa Rossa to win for Jim Goldie earlier in the month at the track, will most likely have another mount for the stable and this one mile five furlong contest should be competitive.
The two feature races are a six furlong Class 4 handicap and a seven furlong handicap.
With the afternoon action that day in the north coming from Beverley, several jockeys should be able to take in both meetings.
After next Wednesday’s action we race no fewer than four times in I gave you notice that Jim Goldie was easing into form and the Uplawmoor trainer underlined that at Hamilton on Friday evening, saddling Sir Chauvelin to win the feature race on the night, the Braveheart Handicap.
Having won the same race the year before off a 12lb lower mark, this was a highly creditable performance. For a while it looked as if the five- year- old wasn’t going to get a clear run but Sam James extricated his mount to pip Kensington Star by a short head with Yorkidding a nose back third.
Big Jim will no doubt have something in mind for a horse that is quickly emerging as the stable star and he could head to a track like York for a decent middle distance prize.
He is a credit to William Johnstone of Coylton who bred him and it’s fair to say that although he no longer owns the horse he is enjoying great success as a breeder and an owner with Euchen Glen, a full brother to Sir Chauvelin and also Nicholas T who have both won this season.
I think all three horses have the ability to win many more races and it could be a highly profitable summer for the Goldie camp.
Nicholas T was in action at Ayr on Wednesday. I’ll have a full review of Tennent’s Raceday next week.