Hanagan doubles up at Ayr

WITH his title rivals Ryan Moore and Silvestre De Sousa breathing down his neck, champion jockey Paul Hanagan notched up a welcome double at Ayr.

Hanagan had only had one winner since a brace last Monday at Ripon, but still began the week with a cushion of five over Moore, with De Sousa a further two behind.

One of the major plusses of Hanagan's riding is the amount of times he prevails in a tight finish and the victory of Arriva La Diva (11-4) showed him at his best again.

He powered out on Linda Perratt's five-year-old and despite the pack closing, he managed to hold on by short head from Dower Glen in the Best Odds Guaranteed At Victor Chandler Handicap. "She blasted away and looked as if she was headed, but she fought back," said Perratt. "I'd love a four-and-a-half-furlong race but one hasn't been invented yet."

Winning owner Ken McGarrity added: "I'm thrilled with her. I claimed her last year and we have run her since but she burst blood vessels a couple of times and she just made it today."

The fact that Hanagan was riding Bomber Jet for Nigel Tinkler in the Median Auction Maiden Stakes rather than Pitti Song, trained by his boss Richard Fahey, did not go unnoticed. Sent off a 9-4 chance, the once-raced juvenile travelled noticeably well for the champion jockey before drawing away to beat 15-8 favourite Flambard House by a length and a half.

"He ran nicely first time but he's very, very babyish at home and you wouldn't want to bully him," said Tinkler. "He's got a lot of potential."

Perratt and McGarrity were narrowly denied a double of their own when Berbice travelled supremely well in the first division of the Play Poker At victorchandler.com but failed to reel in Shayla (12-1). The winner signalled a welcome return to form for Alan Swinbank who had been without a winner since early May, and Sartingo (9-1) later got up close home in the Weddings At Western House Handicap to make it a double for the Melsonby handler. PJ McDonald rode both for a 129-1 double for the team.

Drive Home (6-1) was an impressive winner of the second division of the Play Poker At victorchandler.com Handicap, while Howard Johnson's Timeless Elegance (9-4) held off Mango Music in the "Drummy's 70th" Fillies' Handicap.