STARTS WITH TIP-TOP RACING ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Angel wins Ayr Gold Cup for dynamic duo

TOM DASCOMBE and Richard Kingscote’s match made in heaven continued when they joined forces to capture the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup with Angel Alexander.

The pair celebrated their alliance of 500 winners together at Haydock earlier in the month.

Angel Alexander, one of two three-year-olds in the 24-runner

£200,000 six-furlong sprint, arrived late to snatch victory from Growl, with Gulliver taking third and Summerghand fourth.

Sent off at 28-1, Angel Alexander had his supporters but nothing like the money that was poured on Buffer Zone, the

100-30 favourite, who finished a disappointing 17th.

He was always on the tails of his rivals and never offered any hope for his supporters.

The first four were berthed in stalls 24, 18, nine and 13.

Kingscote said: “It has been horses on the far side winning all week – he’s the only one this week who has come close.

“I thought we would end up congregating in the middle but the pace horse stayed in a straight line from his draw and we were just happy to latch on.

“He has always promised to land us a nice one and I think he has shown his true colours today.

“The owners said if he won today, he may well be off to Dubai. He has shown he has handled a sounder surface today because a lot of his form is on slower ground.”

After failing to hit the bullseye since winning at Ascot in August 2017, Golden Apollo was on target when taking

(12-1) the

William Hill

Ayr Silver Cup for trainer Tim Easterby and his rider David Allan.

And Rose Of Kildare showed great tenacity to take the Group Three honours in the William Hill Firth Of Clyde Stakes.

In her 11th race of the season, the Mark Johnston-trained twoyear-old showed she was a real bargain, having cost just 3,000 euros as a yearling, by taking her career earnings to above £80,000.

Stable staff, undoubtedly the unsung heroes of the racing game, are celebrating at John Gosden’s Newmarket yard.

Their share of the Stradivarius’ winnings in the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million was

£75,000 and, for the second year running, the five-year-old’s owner, Bjorn Nielsen, rounded the figure up to £100,000.

The impregnable war horse, who has been unbeaten in his last

10 races, ensured Gosden’s 90 stable staff to all pocketed more than £1,000 each.