Significantly strikes Gold at Ayr for Camacho and Fanning

Julie Camacho’s Significantly overcame a troubled passage to take a big pot in the Virgin Bet AyrGold Cup Handicap.

The gelding was rolling the dice again after just missing out on the Portland Handicap at the St Leger meeting exactly a week ago.

The race was a return to six furlongs and at several points it seemed that luck had deserted him once again as his progress was abruptly stopped by other horses in the 24-runner handicap.

He was brought almost to a halt as another horse crossed his path in the final furlong, but showed great tenacity under Joe Fanning to renew his attack and lunge at the line to win by a neck from Ramazan and justify 8-1 favouritism.

“We’re thrilled, he’s a decent horse and it’s a bit of compensation for last week when he ran so well and he just didn’t quite make it,” said Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant.

“He’s a horse that was very good in his younger days when he was produced by Karl (Burke) and he’s just slowly working his way back to that level.”

Of the decision to run him again a week after Doncaster, Brown added: “There’s always a little bit of trepidation because you’re never quite sure if they’re in the same form, he’s just had a quiet week.

“He did a couple of canters and he didn’t give us any indication that he wasn’t well, we were happy to take our chances and I think we had to go for it with him being such a fancied runner.

“I think he’d have been an unlucky loser but it worked out and I’m thrilled for Niall (O’Keeffe, owner), it’s his first year with horses with us and it’s great to win a big for him.”

Ramazan hit the front with two furlongs to run but Fanning could be spotted going well in behind with nowhere to run.

When he eventually did see daylight the response was immediate and while he would have been an unlucky loser, there were plenty of other hard luck tales.

Gweedore finished third but fourth home was Hollie Doyle and Albasheer, who was stone last with a furlong to run.

Rhyme makes sense

Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme could be destined for greater things after a tough win in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Doonside Cup Stakes at Ayr.

While the colt sent off the 6-5 favourite under Clifford Lee, it was Amy Murphy’s Pride Of America who stalked off to take a significant lead early on.

A long way from home it soon became apparent that none of the other runners were close enough to lay down a challenge and the front two had it between them for the last three furlongs.

Only Burke’s could reel the front runner in, drawing level with him a furlong from home and eventually applying himself to the task to prevail by a length and a quarter.

“I was very confident I was going to get him (Pride Of America),” Lee told ITV Racing.

“What I didn’t want to do was leave it too late, so three (furlongs) down I just started giving him a squeeze and tried to keep tabs.

“From then on I knew I was going to get him.”

Royal Rhyme was previously a runaway winner of the valuable Kincsem Handicap at Goodwood and Lee rates this performance as similarly impressive.

A step up in grade now under consideration as the bay holds an entry for the Qipco Champion Stakes and has been cut from 33-1 to 16-1 with Betfair and Paddy Power for that contest.

“It was good, I’d say it was on par” said Lee.

“The ground wasn’t as soft as it was at Goodwood but it was a great performance by him.”

Prime Art strikes for Murtagh

Prime Art strode to an impressive triumph in the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Firth Of Clyde.

The Johnny Murtagh-trained filly was not among the more fancied runners in the six-furlong Group Three – the only Group race run at Ayr all season – and started at 10-1 having been a 25-1 chance earlier in the day.

She travelled in mid-division under Ben Curtis and readily knuckled down when asked to, slotting through a gap between runners and kicking on to cross the line a length and three-quarters ahead.

The win follows a Naas maiden success last time out, breaking her maiden at the third time of asking.

“The race worked out perfect, she relaxed early doors and then she came on it (the bridle) past the three (furlong marker),” Curtis told ITV Racing.

“She travelled into it lovely and I just waited for the gap, when it came she quickened up very well and she hit the line strong – she couldn’t have done any more.

“Her form is rock solid and she showed a great attitude to win at Naas the last day, I think there’s definitely more to come.

“The way she pricked her ears there you’d think there was more under the bonnet.”

Betfair have introduced the filly into the 1000 Guineas market at 40-1 as a result of the win.