Almeric Defies Lengthy Absence To Win Doonside Cup In Style
Almeric put a 158-day absence behind him as he came from last to first to conveniently land the Ladbrokes "Big Football Bet Builder Boosts" Doonside Cup Stakes at Ayr.
Caviar Heights set the early pace in the Listed occasion with King's Gambit keeping tabs on him two lengths in defaults with champion jockey Oisin Murphy pleased to drop the Andrew Balding-trained Almeric in at the rear of the field.
Caviar Heights deteriorated as the race went into the last furlong and a half and Murphy timed his difficulty to excellence and when he asked the concern, Almeric slid to the front of the field as the 13-8 preferred won for the third time in 4 starts, 2 and three-quarter lengths clear of King's Gambit.
Murphy told ITV: "He's obviously a bit ring rusty since he's been off the track for a while however he entered into the race perfectly however then he probably got to the front a bit faster than ideal.
"Obviously with the time off the track he need to be sharper on his next start.
"We've constantly enjoyed him he's the most stunning design.
Almeric wins the Doonside Cup at Ayr (Steve Welsh/PA)
"He's practically got a having actually won his last three starts and he ran well on debut. When you make racehorses this is what they are expected to appear like."
The Richard Spencer-trained Candy made all to win the Ladbrokes Ayr Silver Cup.
The field split coming out of the stalls with the George Wood-ridden Candy striking the front on the near side, with his primary competitors fighting it out on the far side of the course.
Sondad was overcoming Eye Of Dubai entering the last half furlong, but Wood was always in command and the 8-1 saw off Sondad by one and three-quarter lengths.
Spencer said: "It's fantastic, George gets on actually well with him, the ground is the crucial too him. He seems to simply enjoy it and has a high cruising speed and simply keeps it going. I'm definitely happy. Hopefully we'll be coming back here next year for the big one."
Owner Phil Cunningham added: "It's the sort of horse, specifically in a field like that, that he's not too tough to spot. You know how's he going to run. He's going to come off the front and what an incredible training performance. It was fantastic, absolutely incredible."
Thunder Roar hit the front a furlong from home and held on to win the Ladbrokes "Free Bet At Ayr" Handicap, while the Richard Hughes-trained Nobody Knows got up to win the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes to provide Murphy a double.