The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Soupy Soups strikes gold for Mulholland
RACING: Somerset raider takes top prize at Perth
Soupy Soups was a game winner of the £25,000 bet365 Sam Morshead Perth Gold Cup at the Scone track yesterday afternoon.
Neil Mulholland’s Somerset raider clung on by half a length from the staying on As You Like in a driving finish to the handicap chase over three miles, beamed live across the UK by ITV Racing.
Jockey Robbie Dunne, winning his third race at Perth, said: “I was in front soon enough and he was idling in the closing stages. Otherwise everything went pretty smoothly and he has gradually come to hand this season.
“They went a good gallop and he jumped great. The line came in time and it was a good training performance by Neil. He had some good form in the book last year including a course and distance win last September.
“It’s been a mixed day as I was unseated at the first in an earlier race but that’s the nature of the game as a jump jockey.
“It’s a lovely prize to win at this time of year and the course has produced nice ground out there.”
Mulholland completed a double in the next race with 9-2 shot Frau Georgia.
Lucinda Russell, who had 10 runners on the day, struck with Lucky Flight who made a winning debut over fences under Stephen Mulqueen in the bet365 Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Inverurie trainer Jackie Stephen took the final race of the day when Lock Down Luke was a surprise winner with Sean Quinlan on board.
● Jim Crowley reached a major milestone at Goodwood as he secured his 2,000th career winner in Britain on Modmin in the Ladbrokes Supporting ‘Children With Cancer UK’ Novice Stakes.
● Hollie Doyle became the first woman in British racing to ride five winners on a card when the 23-year-old jockey scored on five of her seven mounts at Windsor at cumulative odds of 899-1.
The highlight of the day came when Extra Elusive took the Winter Hill Stakes.
“I thought it’d go one way or the other,” said a delighted Doyle, whose 116 winners in 2019 smashed the previous record for a woman in a calendar year. “I thought, this could be a good day or a really bad day.
“I’m just really blessed at the moment to be getting a leg-up on these good horses.”