RACING RETURNS

Chic Name was a game winner of Perth’s Highland National for rookie jockey Tom Broughton and trainer Richard Hobson yesterday.

The Cheltenham raider sent off at 17-2, pipped Lac Sacre by a length and a quarter, with Onderun a neck back in third.

Broughton, 20, was riding just his second winner under Rules, while Hobson was saddling his second strike of the week at Britain’s most northerly venue.

A delighted Hobson said: “I’ve had an idea of trying to win this as a trainer as I owned the 2010 winner Omix D’Or.

“The ground was against him when he pulled up at Kelso but he ran well to finish fifth in the Cross County Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month.

“Tom’s 10lb allowance was handy and he hasn’t been with me too long. Chic Name is a horse I claimed out of a race in France and he stayed very well.”

Broughton added: “This was my first ride at Perth and it’s only the second time I’ve been to Scotland.” James Bowen rode his fourth winner of the three-day Perth Festival when Rons Dream landed the TBA Fair Maid Of Perth Mares’ Chase and, at £35,000, won the richest race staged at the Scone track.

Winning trainer Peter Bowen, whose 550-mile horsebox journey from Wales took 12 hours, said: “She’s had a good season and it’s great to win such a nice prize. It was unlucky that she was brought down at Ayr last week and that will be her for the season now as she has been on the go a long time.” Castletown, the 9-4 favourite, won the Bidfood Inspired By You Handicap Hurdle in great style for Caithness owner Raymond Green at Perth yesterday.

Next up in the Perth racing calendar is the evening meeting on May 16.