Almeric Defies Lengthy Absence To Win Doonside Cup In Style
Almeric put a 158-day lack behind him as he came from last to very first to comfortably land the Ladbrokes "Big Football Bet Builder Boosts" Doonside Cup Stakes at Ayr.
Caviar Heights set the early speed in the with King's Gambit keeping tabs on him 2 lengths in financial obligations with champion jockey Oisin Murphy happy to drop the Andrew Balding-trained Almeric in at the back of the field.
Caviar Heights compromised as the race got in the final furlong and a half and Murphy timed his challenge to perfection and once he asked the question, Almeric slid to the front of the field as the 13-8 preferred won for the third time in four starts, two and three-quarter lengths clear of King's Gambit.
Murphy told ITV: "He's certainly a bit ring rusty because he's been off the track for a while however he entered into the race well 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 have actually constantly enjoyed him he's the most gorgeous model.
Almeric wins the Doonside Cup at Ayr (Steve Welsh/PA)
"He's nearly got an ideal record having actually won his last 3 starts and he ran well on launching. When you make racehorses this is what they are expected to look 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 hitting the front on the near side, with his chief competitors battling it out on the far side of the course.
Sondad was overcoming Eye Of Dubai getting in the last half furlong, however Wood was always in command and the 8-1 saw off Sondad by one and three-quarter lengths.
Spencer stated: "It's excellent, George gets on really well with him, the ground is the essential too him. He appears to just enjoy it and has a high travelling speed and simply keeps it going. I'm absolutely thrilled. Hopefully we'll be coming back here next year for the big one."
Owner Phil Cunningham added: "It's the sort of horse, particularly in a field like that, that he's not too difficult to area. You know how's he going to run. He's going to come off the front and what a significant training performance. It was amazing, absolutely fantastic."
Thunder Roar struck the front a furlong from home and hung 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.