Mighty Thunder gives Russell home victory at Ayr

MIGHTY Thunder provided home trainer Lucinda Russell with victory in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr, writes Ashley Iveson.

Trained in Kinross by Russell, Mighty Thunder was an 8-1 chance for his latest National assignment after taking the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh and finishing second in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter on his last two starts.

Rounding the home turn, it looked like Sandy Thomson could saddle the first two home, with 7-1 favourite Dingo Dollar and his stablemate The Ferry Master clear at the front.

However, Mighty Thunder, on left of picture, took to Tom Scudamore’s urgings to close the gap and reeled in Dingo Dollar on the run-in to land a really popular success by threequarters of a length.

Mister Fogpatches, from Ireland, beat The Ferry Master to third place.

A long-term plan came to fruition for Neil Mulholland after Milkwood claimed a clear-cut victory in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle.

The Somerset-based trainer revealed he has had the Grade Two contest as the primary objective for his seven-year-old since finishing fourth behind the high-class Sceau Royal in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las in October.

Since that fine effort, Milkwood had been third in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury and third again in the fiercely-competitive County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

With the form of the Prestbury Park contest significantly boosted by the subsequent Grade One success of the winner Belfast Banter, handler Mulholland’s charge was the 3-1 favourite to get back on the winning trail at Ayr – and did so in impressive style.