Magic Monday for Smith as Black Friday takes Ayr feature

Black Friday made it a magic Monday for trainer Mike Smith at Ayr Racecourse yesterday when scoring an all the way win in the feature race – the Book For QTS Ladies Night Handicap.

Paddy Mathers rode a welljudged race from the front on the 7-2 chance to hold off the late challenge of Music Society andnowthesetwohorsescould meet again in September in the Ayrbronzecup–wonbymusic Society in 2019.

Before that, Black Friday couldheadtoascotattheendof

July for a Lady riders’ race with Carol Bartley desperate for the mount.

Smith said: “I live not too far from the course and the rain woke me up last night and I thought that will do as he likes cut in the ground.”

Rose Bandit (5-1) was a highly impressive winner of the QTS Ladiesnighthandicapdivision Two, with her jockey Paul Mulrennan electing to bring his filly up the stand side rail. She led all the way to win by three and a quarter lengths from Must Be An Angel giving trainer Iain Jardine his fourteenth winner of the season.

Jim Goldie picked up his customary Ayr winner when Oriental Lily, the 2-1 favourite, stayed on strongly in the closing stages to win Division One of the QTS Ladies Night Handicap under Mulrennan.

Michaeldodsandjockeyconnor Beasley scored a first and last race double with Vaccine, 14-1, and John Kirkup, 11-4.

Meanwhile, at Pontefract today, Agincourt can benefit from a drop in class to land a second career Listed success in theweatherbysbloodstockpro Pipalong Stakes.

David O'meara's battle-hardened mare was not disgraced when eighth in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, having only been beaten a head in the Group Two last year. The six-year-old has not won since the Listed Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket in September 2019, though she was onlybeatenanosebyillykatoin similar company at Goodwood in May. Agincourt has plenty of smart form and should prove hard to beat.

Golden Apollo showed signs of a renaissance last time out and could be the answer in the King Richard II Handicap. Rated99afewyearsagoaftersome fineeffortsindecenthandicaps, Tim Easterby's charge is without a win since the Silver Cup at Ayr in 2019. Now on a mark of 86 – 2lb lower than his Ayr victory – Golden Apollo took a couple of runs to warm up this term but put in a fine effort at Thirsk until he met a bit of trouble in running. He kept on well for third, though, and a similar effort could be good enough.