Cup runneth over with good stories
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BUCCLEUCH Cup day, staged at Kelso tomorrow, is always an enjoyable meeting and the aforementioned race, though only a maiden hunters’ chase, usually produces a good tale.
Twelve months ago, for example, it was won by New Vic, trained by Quona Thomson whose husband Sandy subsequently scored with Imperial Prince on the same card. It was a rare double by a couple at the same fixture by all accounts anywhere worldwide according to my research.
Way back in 1958, the Buccleuch Cup went to a certain Merryman II, who two years later was to win the first televised Grand National and the last with the daunting upright Aintree fences before the now-familiar sloping take-off aprons were introduced.
Merryman was bred by the Marquess Of Linlithgow and, after his death, sold as a two-yearold to Edinburgh owner Winifred Wallace for the then princely sum of £470.
Wallace used the gelding for hunting and rode him in point to points before he was moved to the professional training yard of Neville Crump at Middleham in north Yorkshire. Partnered by Gerry Scott, he enjoyed his date with destiny in 1960 to become the first Scottish-owned winner of the world’s greatest steeplechase.
The year before his Aintree victory, Merryman was successful in the Scottish Grand National, in those days staged at now-defunct Bogside, and the entries were announced for the 2017 renewal this week. Run at its current home at Ayr since 1966, the £215,000 Coral sponsored event has attracted an initial entry of 76 horses including last year’s1-2-3 of Vicente, Alvarado and Seeyouatmidnight.
Before that the ITV cameras will be at Musselburgh on Easter Saturday for a valuable card featuring the inaugural running of the £100,000 Totepool Queen’s Cup over 1m 6f.
I hear Judy Murray will be a special guest at the East Lothian venue.
IF you are looking for some early Flat pointers look no further than Hawick’s latest apprentice prodigy Rowan Scott who has moved from Ann Duffield to join Keith Dalgleish’s Carluke yard. The word is that there is going to be an almighty push for the apprentice title.