Scottish Grand National: Merigo win gets racing smiling again

Andrew Parker’s Lockerbie stable star had won the race in 2010 and finished second last year from miles out of the handicap. After returning to winning ways on his penultimate start at the course, his legion of followers backed him into 15-2 second-favouritism on Saturday afternoon behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s Harry The Viking, who was eventually pulled up.

Timmy Murphy, riding Merigo for his father-in-law, Raymond Anderson Green, stated after the race that the 11-year-old was flat out throughout but he was never far from the pace as his jumping kept him in it.

However, he looked booked for second when Sue Smith’s Auroras Encore kicked on under Ryan Mania and was still a couple of lengths clear at the last.

Merigo found plenty in reserve, though, to battle back and win by a head, and the four-day ban Murphy picked up for using his whip above the permitted level will be a small price to pay for connections.

King Fontaine outran his 40-1 odds in third for Malcolm Jefferson, who lost According To Pete at Aintree last week.

“He’s a superstar. Andrew knows him better than anybody and I think he just comes to himself at this time of year,” said Murphy of Merigo, who is expected to be back for another go next year.

“The choke was out for a long way and all credit to how deep he dug for me. I couldn’t go any quicker and his jumping was keeping him in it.

“He’s a great horse to own and ride.”

Anderson Green added: “To win it once is dreamland, to come back and do it again – words can’t describe it. It means everything to me to win this race. It was a great ride by Timmy.”

Parker added: “He loves Ayr, he loves the sun on his back. He’s just a different horse here than anywhere else.

“I thought we might be struggling, but one thing he has got is the heart of a lion. Timmy said he’s losing his pace but he’s got heart.”

Alan King enjoyed a successful return home as he saddled Raya Star to land the Isle of Skye Blended Whisky Scottish Champion Hurdle. The Lanark-born trainer, who had a spell at the Cree Lodge stables across the road from the racecourse, took the opportunity to spend the weekend with his parents.

And it proved a worthwhile trip from his Barbury Castle base in Wiltshire. It had been something of an afterthought, though, with Raya Star (15-2) having finished down the field in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

“He’s a grand horse. After Cheltenham we were going to put him away, but he was so well we thought we’d have another go with him,” said King.

“It’s great to come back home and have another winner here. I think it was about five or six years ago since our last one and I think I was on a losing run here of about 30 runners.

“I was born in Lanark about an hour away but was brought up in Hamilton and I worked across the road from here at Cree Lodge for about a year when horses like Harry Hastings were around.

“I came up [on Friday] and am staying with my parents until Monday, so it’s a good weekend.”

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls may have been out of luck in Ayr’s showpiece race, but he came away with a 96-1 treble courtesy of Grandioso, Pacha Du Polder and Doeslessthanme.

Nicky Henderson had a double with Cucumber Run (10-1) and River Maigue (10-11 favourite) while former Henderson inmate Problema Tic (6-1) won on his first start for David Pipe.

At Newbury, meanwhile, the Aon Greenham Stakes lost some of its lustre with the withdrawals of Top Offer and Tales Of Grimm. It apparently left the door open for Richard Hannon’s Bronterre to stake his Guineas case but the durable Caspar Netscher (3-1) added to his Mill Reef and Gimcrack wins of last season, this time under Shane Kelly.

Winning trainer Alan McCabe said: “He’d got the best form in the race. He didn’t relish the ground, but he wanted to win. He improved all of last year and he’s still improving from what we have seen. He’s got to go for the (2000) Guineas and Charles [Wentworth, owner] had an agreement that whoever rode him in the Greenham will ride him in the Guineas.”

Frankel’s brother Noble Mission (3-1 favourite) showed he has inherited his family’s talent with a win in the opening ten-furlong maiden.

Sir Henry Cecil said: “For a mile and a quarter horse that was a good performance. I wanted to start him over a mile on this ground, and he’s won very nicely. I don’t want to say anything silly, so I will just feel my way at the moment.”

Ralph Beckett’s Moonstone Magic (7-2) followed her debut win of just eight days previously in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Fred Darling) but the trainer feels the 1000 Guineas may be too much too soon. “She needs some give in the ground,” said Beckett.

“She’s not in anything but she’ll have to run in a Guineas – maybe the Irish will be most suitable.”

William Haggas’ Harris Tweed (6-4 favourite) was a game winner of the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes (John Porter) and will be trained with the Melbourne Cup in mind.

Yesterday, meanwhile, Excelebration made the perfect start to life with the Aidan O’Brien stable when easily winning on his seasonal debut at the Curragh. A Group One scorer for Newmarket-based Marco Botti but three times put in his place by the brilliant Frankel, Excelebration (2-7) had no trouble taking the Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes.

He will now go for the JLT Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on 19 May when he could face Frankel once more.

O’Brien said: “The plan was to come here then go for the Lockinge if everything went well. I’d imagine that is what we’ll be looking at now.

“Everyone knows what Frankel is, an incredible horse. We’re delighted with the way this fellow ran and look forward to the next day.

“He was a very good horse last year. Physically he’s very well made. He’s done very well over the winter and you couldn’t be happier with his first run.”

O’Brien enjoyed a treble on the card but it was not without a surprise as Requisition (7-2) floored his odds-on stablemate Nephrite in the Anne Brewster Memorial Loughbrown Stakes.