On the Rails

Nakeeta is a real star for Scotland

Well done Scobie! Iain Jardine’s brilliant Ebor winner Nakeeta may not have won Tuesday morning’s Melbourne Cup but he did Scotland proud running on to finish fifth and pick up £ 102,000 in prize- money.

The gamble of travelling 10,000 miles to compete in the world’s richest handicap paid off for the Jardine team and what an achievement it was for all concerned with the Dumfriesshire yard that they came so close.

Up until two years ago Iain trained out a small yard in Bonchester Bridge in the Borders averaging around eight winners a season on the Flat.

He then leased the former Lenny Lungo yard in Carrutherstown near Dumfries and last year had 36 winners. This term he has so far recorded 47 on the Flat and a further 15 over jumps. His Flat earnings are almost £ 630,000 and his stable numbers have increased to more than 50.

It is a huge success story and thoroughly deserved for Scobie and his hard working team.

There was an early morning party at the stables in Dumfriesshire on Tuesday for staff and friends to watch the race and Iain and a couple of grooms were at Flemington Park to see Nakeeta in the flesh.