Pudding is the race chieftain at Ayr with impressive victory

Pudding Chare, owned by the Ayr Racecourse Club, won on his home track last night when he ran all the way to the line under jockey Jamie Gormley to land the mile handicap.

Winning trainer Mike Smith said: “I thought Ja mie gave him a great ride staying up with the pace and not panicking when he was headed.”

Jo c k e y B e c k y S m i t h t o o k time off from studying for her A levels to win the opening 1m 5f Lady Amateur Riders Handi c a p o n b o a r d h e r m o t h e r Catherine’s horse Perla Blanca.

The five year- old was second in the same race last year but went one better this time to win from Shine Baby Shine.

T h e w i n n i n g o w n e r s a i d : “B e c k y h a s f o ur A l e ve l s t o sit next week and we had her doing revision in the car on the way up from Newmarket.

“She rides the horse ever y d ay a n d i t wa s g r e a t t o s e e them win tonight.”

The closest finish of the night came in the 7f handicap with Polyphony, ridden by Jason Hart for trainer John Mackie, getting up to win by a neck from Lucky Violet with Donnelly’s Rainbow a short head behind in third.

Jim Goldie bagged a winner with Tommy G coming from last to first to win the feature race, the Celebrate At Western House Hotel Handicap. It was the horse’s fourth course win and he got a great ride from apprentice Corey Madden.

At Hamilton today, trainer Iain Jardine, who has saddled winners on the Flat and over jumps at Worcester and Carl i s l e r e c e n t l y, i s a f t e r mor e success. The Carrutherstown trainer is represented by Tor and God Of Dreams in Lanarkshire. God Of Dreams faces 11 rivals in the Duncan And Kathleen Diamond Wedding Anniversar y Handicap. Jardine said: “He ran a nice race when we stepped him up to a mile at Hamilton last time and he’s going a wee bit further this time so hopefully there is more improvement to come.”

C o u r s e w i n n e r To r f l i e s the flag in the Cadzow Castle Handicap although, on recent evidence, he has plenty to find to deal with opposition including Kevin Ryan’s Armanihan and Done Deal, a Newmarket raider trained by Sir Mark Prescott, who used to be a formidable force when sending horses north of the border.

Local trainer Keith Dalgleish had a 189-1 hat-trick at Hamilton Park’s previous fixture and the Carluke handler has seven runners starting with Stormy Bay in the opening BB Food Service Novice Auction Stakes.