Mixed day for Dunne as jockey lands in the Soups to win Perth Gold Cup

Soupy Soups was a game winner of the £25,000 bet365 Sam Morshead Perth Gold Cup at the Scone track yesterday.

Ne i l Mul h o l l a n d ’s S o mer - set 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 Per th, s a i d : “I w a s i n f r o n t s o o n e n o u g h a n d h e w a s i d l i n g in the closing stages. Otherwise ever ything went prett y smoothly and he has gradually come to hand this season.

“T h e y we n t a g o o d g a l l o p and he jumped great. The line came in time and it was a good training performance by Neil. He had some go o d form i n 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.”

Lucinda Russell, who had ten runners on the day, struck with Lucky Flight who made a winning debut over fences under Stephen Mulqueen in the bet365 Novices’ Handicap Chase.

Today, Queen Of Rio looks a value bet to pick up a strong r e n e w a l o f t h e E B F R i p o n C h a m p i o n T w o Y r s O l d Trophy Stakes.

The Adrian Keatley-trained filly has scored once in her three outings to date, but she has run with credit on ever y occasion.

A winner over five furlongs at Rip on on her racecourse b ow, s h e wa s t h e n p i t c h e d into a Listed race at Newbury in the middle of this month, and there was encouragement to take from her sixth-placed finish behind a whole host of useful t yp es – with the winner Zoetic in contention for the Cheveley Park and third home Santosha having been placed behind Campanelle at Royal Ascot.

From there connections opted to go to York’s Ebor meeting for another Listed event, where she was just touched off by the decidedly useful Acklam Express.

She steps up to six furlongs at the Garden Racecourse, and that looks like being a plus on what she has shown so f ar, with give in the ground not an issue.

It is also wor th b earing in m i n d r e c e n t l y - r e l o c a t e d

North Yorkshire-based Irishman Keatley knows what he is doing with a go od filly, as witnessed by his exploits with Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Jet Setting.