Local trainer Smith enjoys a royal day out with winner at Ayr

Trainer Mike Smith is based just 10 miles from Ayr Racecourse at Galston and once again yesterday he made the short journey a sweet one with a winner at his local track.

The five year-old mare Royal Countess, ridden by Paddy Mathers, was winning for the second time in her career with her other victory coming last July over course and distance.

Sent off the 15-8 favourite for the Afternoon Tea At Western House Hotel Handicap she was always travelling well and went clear inside the final furlong before being eased down by her jockey to pass the post three and a quarter lengths in front of Tarnhelm.

Smith said : “I’ll certainly have her back here later in the summer. She loves the track and is in great form.”

Keith Dalgleish’s Carluke yard is churning out the winners and his Mi Capricho (3-1 joint favourite) followed up a win at the track four weeks ago with another success in the Book For QTS Ladies Night Handicap under a determined ride by Joe Fanning.

The five year-old kept on in the last half furlong to win by a neck from Coviglia. The feature race, the Western House Hotel Handicap, produced a thrilling finish with Redarna (9-2) trained by Dianne Sayer and ridden by Jimmy Sullivan, prevailing by a short head from Shelir.

Ayr stages another sevenrace card today and Look Out Louis, who rarely runs a bad race, is one to look out for in the Book For QTS Ladies

Night Handicap. A winner three times in his days with Tim Easterby, he is now in the care of Julie Camacho, for whom he has been out of the first three just once in six outings.

A determined all-the-way winner at Chester most recently, he is still feasibly handicapped off 82.

It seems unlikely Bastogne has reached the limit of his ability just yet and he can be followed in the EBF Stallions Novice Stakes.

The David Evans-trained gelding made a nice start when third to subsequent winner Sanitiser at Windsor and confirmed the promise of that run next time out at Leicester. Showing plenty of dash on the outside of runners, he hit the front two out, repelling the persistent challenge of Bay Breeze and then holding the running-on Last Hoorah by a ready threequarters of a length.

That he did that in spite of drifting to his left is to his credit and he looks certain to be suited by this first go at seven furlongs.