Twiston-Davies beams with pride at Perth

NIGEL Twiston-Davies was a proud father after his son Sam set the record straight with a double at Perth yesterday.

The 5lb conditional is facing a 12-day ban for riding a finish too early on Hermoso at the Scottish track ten days earlier, but he atoned for that incident with victory over the course and distance. "I'm very proud of him. He made amends in great style, very much so on Hermoso and timed his run to perfection," said the Naunton handler.

Twiston-Davies junior rode a patient race this time, settling his mount off the pace as Strobe took the field along. Hermoso (4-1) moved smoothly to the front two out but the five-year-old had to shake off Sparkling Zola to register a three-length success in the toteexacta Flexi Betting Handicap Hurdle.

The near 6-1 brace, from the trainer's only two runners, had been initiated by Billie Magern. The six-year-old made it a hat-trick of wins over fences in four weeks in the toteswinger Flexi Betting Novices' Chase. The 1-3 shot made virtually all the running and ran his three rivals ragged.Right Or Wrong was the only one to give him any race at all but he was Jim Goldie wasted no time in reaching when Baaher gave the Glasgow trainer his 501st success.

Stellite gave Goldie win number 500 with a Flat victory at Hamilton on Saturday and the handler chalked up another with his only runner of the day. Baaher was opening his account at the 23rd attempt and it was conditional jockey Paul Norton's first winner as a professional. Norton, who has had success on the Flat as an amateur, made full use of his 10lb allowance on the 100-30 shot in the toteplacepot Maiden Hurdle. Desert Soul set the pace but the race developed into a match between Baaher and the Irish-trained favourite Definite All Star over the final two flights. Baaher proved the stronger on the run-in to score by a length and a quarter. "It was a first-class ride. Many jockeys would be proud of that," said Goldie. "I'm now a darts player - I've got 501!"

Irish trainer Gordon Elliott had to suffer three second places with Definite All Star, Right Or Wrong and Nedzer's Return before getting on the scoresheet with Shopfrontspecialst. Keith Donoghue had an armchair ride on the 13-8 favourite, who strolled home from Front Rank to take the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle. There were two other Irish winners in the Jim Dreaper-trained Retrievethelegend (9-2) and Ciannte (6-4 favourite) for permit holder Stuart Crawford in the bumper.