Lake earns trip across the pond

● Longsdon’s first Perth winner could enter US National

Hammersly Lake was an impressive winner of the inaugural running of the £25,000 Sodexo Prestige And Events Killiecrankie Handicap Chase at Perth.

A trip across the Atlantic to tackle next month’s American Grand National could now be on the cards for the Brian Hughes-ridden 6-1 chance – a first-ever success at the Scone track for Oxfordshire trainer Charlie Longsdon.

Winning owner Robert Aplin said: “We are seriously thinking about going back to New Jersey as we were third last year with Sharp Rise.

“It is actually a Grade 1 race over hurdles but the first prize is $240,000 so hopefully the trainerandmywifewon’tneed much convincing.

“He has won very nicely today, by four lengths, and it’s great to give Charlie his first course winner here – I might remind him of that fact at his annual upcoming owners’ day!”

Hughes, who completed a double on Keith Dalgleish’s Chanceanottherfive in the bumper, had earlier been involvedinthethinkproperty Think Savills Novices’ Handicap Chase which was declared void. His mount Johnny Go was fatally injured in a fall at the first and the decision to halttheraceonthefinalcircuit was taken on safety grounds as the screens were erected around Lisa Harrison’s charge on the run-in.

After a stewards’ enquiry into why the jockeys continued after the yellow “stop” flags was deployed, Sean Quinlan, whose mount Red Giant was first past the post, as well as Derek Fox and Stephen Mulqueen, unseated when his mount Here Comes Love was spooked by the screens, were given ten-day bans.

The afternoon started with a 50-1 shock for Maurice Barnestrained Sir Tommy in the Old Mout Cider Novices’ Hurdle.

Today, John Quinn’s Alfa Queen, who has shaped encouragingly the last twice, might be up to defying a mark of 70 in Newcastle’s 42nd Street Classic Sausage Fish & Chips Fillies’ Handicap.

Kachy can land an overdue success in the EBF Stallions Prestwold Conditions Stakes at Leicester.

Tom Dascombe’s speedster should finally get the conditions which will allow him to run to the best of his ability.

He has run in several big sprints this year, but he probably falls just below the highest class.

Nevertheless, he has still shown blistering speed, most notably in the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot where it looked fairly obvious he would be seen to better effect at five furlongs.

He does stay six in a lower grade,butheisahorsethatjust wants to get on with things and he should get the chance to do that in this small field.