On the Rails
Ayr tops for the second year in a row
The Irish certainly know how to plunder big prize- money on these shores and Robbie Hennessey planned an Ayr raid with his Space Ship to perfection on Saturday.
Robbie’s six- year- old had been campaigning over two miles four furlongs but dropped back to two miles for the Class 2 £ 25,000 Scottish Champion Hurdle trial at the Craigie track.
He came from off the pace to take the lead between the third and second last flight and held off the challenge of Martila by a length and three quarters.
Shane Shortall, riding as retained jockey to Iain Jardine’s yard this season, took the mount and Space Ship provided him with his first ever Ayr success.
It was also a first victory at the track for Robbie who said afterwards: “This is more his trip as he didn’t stay two and a half miles. He has a dust allergy so we keep him in an all- weather gallop which helps.”
The big disappointment of the race was the Dan Skelton trained 15- 8 favourite Work In Progress who weakened after four out and certainly looks as though his name fits.
There was a double on the day for Borders born jockey Jamie Hamilton who steered 4- 5 favourite Master Of Finance to win the opening maiden hurdle for trainer Malcolm Jefferson and then doubled up with Halcyon Days ( 100- 30) in the two mile Menabrea Handicap Chase.
The crowd of 4200 saw a highly talented young rider in 18- year- old Harry Reed ride his father Tim’s Everyone at Ayr Racecourse is delighted that for the second year in a row the track has been named as one of the top six large racecourses in the country for owners and awarded the Racehorse Owners Association Gold Standard status.
ROA reps visited every track in Britain at least once to assess all aspects of the raceday experience for owners. Feedback was provided by hundreds of ROA members.
The six large courses awarded Gold Standard were Ayr, Ascot, Chester, Haydock Park, Cheltenham and York.
Racecourses are divided into large and small categories with their classification decided by a range of factors, including quality of racing and attendances. The six tracks in each category that were considered to provide owners with the best raceday experience will hold the Award for the next year.
One racecourse from each section will be named as their respective category’s ‘ Racecourse of the Year’ at the annual ROA Horseracing Awards in London on Thursday December 1.
The new system of awarding ROA Gold status only began last year so to achieve it in both 2015 and 2016 is really gratifying. Everyone on the racecourse team will be going flat out to make it three in a row.