Horse racing: Winning is Always Right way to go

Connections decided to skip the Hennessy Gold Cup, and that now looks like a wise decision as he held off the smart Skippers Brig by two and a quarter lengths. Having cut out most of the running with Sa Suffit, the very well-backed 9-4 favourite forged clear between the final two fences before idling slightly after the last. However James Reveley gathered his mount up again and he found something extra to win in good style.

Always Right was cut to 20-1 from 33s for the John Smith’s Grand National, but a return to Ayr for another crack at the Scottish National could be on the cards.

Reveley said: “He was quite impressive there. It was an ideal starting point, two miles and six round here, and he never missed a beat. He had a bit left in the tank turning in and got all the way home. Hopefully he’ll progress through the season. I think John would like to have another go at the Scottish National and hopefully pick up a few races in between.”

Meanwhile, Dougie Costello was suspended for five days (December 18-22) for using his whip with excessive frequency aboard Mister Marker, who finished third.

Reveley then doubled up in the feature John Smith’s Scottish Borders National on the Wade-owned Eyre Square, trained by his father, Keith.

The 6-1 chance looked to have matters under control in the four-mile marathon halfway up the long run-in. However, Lockstown and Keith Mercer began staying on relentlessly up the centre of the track and a photo was called to split them at the line. Thankfully for supporters of Eyre Square, he had just managed to hold on by a head.

Earlier on the card Lie Forrit, a smart staying hurdler two seasons ago, made a winning return to action in the John Smith’s Paris Pike Novices’ Chase.

Off the track for 626 days with tendon trouble, the seven-year-old jumped like an old hand under Campbell Gillies. Given a patient ride, he looked to have plenty to do with half a mile to run as Blenheim Brook set sail for home. But Gillies had not yet asked the 11-8 favourite and a big leap at the last gave Willie Amos’ stable star a chance of victory. With his stamina really kicking in close to home, he went on to win by two and a quarter lengths.

Amos had earlier won the Happy Birthday Berwick Speedway’s Julie Newton Novices’ Hurdle with Eurohunter (8-1), also ridden by Gillies, thus ending a frustrating run of placed efforts for the yard.

Amos said: “It’s always a worry when they are off for that long, but he’s been working well and we’d schooled him loads. The dream goes on now. If he got beat today the dream would have ended. It’s a great start and I’m over the moon.

“He just eased him into it to get his jumping going but I was getting a bit worried that he was too far back. The jockey has got a good head on his shoulders and he bled him in nicely.

“He’s in the Long Walk back over hurdles but I don’t know after that. I’ll speak to the owners and the ground would have to be right. It all depends on the ground, I wouldn’t run him on fast ground, he needs a nice cut. Hopefully he’ll be out before Christmas.”

• Roger Charlton’s stable stars Bated Breath and Cityscape have arrived in Hong Kong ahead of their respective races. Bated Breath, second in the July Cup, Haydock’s Sprint Cup and in a Grade One at Woodbine, is on course for the Sprint.

Cityscape, who has won three Group 3s and been placed in numerous other big races will run in the Hong Kong Mile. The pair are half-brothers and are both owned by Khalid Abdullah. Charlton tweeted: “Bated Breath and Cityscape arrived safely in HK after a 22hr stable to stable journey. Both recovering and due to exercise on the track on Monday.”