HORSE RACING
The elements did everything possible to spoil the racing at Ayr on Saturday with gusts of wind nudging 45 mph and driving rain throughout the afternoon.
Add to the fact that racing was behind closed doors and less than 70 racehorse owners took in the action you’d have every right to think a miserable afternoon was had by all.
But nothing could be further from the truth. We saw some tremendous racing with at least a couple of horses that were on show likely to be vying for big prize pots later in the season.
And we also had the tightest finish to a National Hunt Flat race ever seen at Ayr.
Let’s start with the two horses for your notebook. Castle Rushen, a five yearold owned by Trevor Hemmings and trained by Nicky Richards, had only raced twice before Saturday and both times in bumpers at Ayr winning on his racecourse debut in January before finishing second in March.
His introduction to hurdling in the maiden hurdle at the weekend could not have gone better with Brian Hughes having an armchair ride and steering him to an eased down length and a quarter win from Five Bar Brian.
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in the making but will certainly win some decent novice hurdles between now and the end of the season and is certainly in good hands with Nicky.
Brian Hughes also rode Goobinator to win the Tennent’s Cup Scottish Champion Hurdle trail and this four year- old had to battle all the way to the line to pip Mcgowans Pass by a short head with the third horse a distant 22 lengths away. This was the Donald McCain trained horse’s sixth spin over hurdles and he has won three and been second twice. He was running off 126 on Saturday and can improve when he is raced on better ground.
He will also win plenty between now and the end of the season and could well line up in the Scottish Champion Hurdle itself next April.
Runner- up Mcgowans Pass is another who will win his share of races.
Finally to that finish in the last race. After two miles only a nose, a neck and a head separated the first four home.
The winner was Flammarion who was bought for 460,000 euros as a yearling but later sold on for 21,000 guineas. This was his first ever time on a racecourse and he looks as if he’ll be a decent hurdler in time. David O’Meara trains and Sean Quinlan rode.