Sprint king Nicholls grabs silver

David Nicholls limbered up for his assault on the totesport Ayr Gold Cup by winning the consolation race for the fourth time in the last eight years when Machinist burst clear to score in style at the Scottish track.

The Thirsk trainer, renowned as the ‘sprint king’, has eight in tomorrow’s feature, a race he has landed four times in the last five years, and was responsible for four of the 28 runners in the totesport Ayr Silver Cup, including the heavily-backed 4-1 favourite Ice Planet.

But it was the stable’s 12-1 shot, enterprisingly ridden by David McCabe, who emerged victorious.

As expected the field split into two groups with little to choose between them, but Machinist kicked on over on the far side approaching the final furlong, while Roman Maze and Golden Dixie battled it out under the stand rail.

However, it was the Nicholls runner who had the call and he got home by a length from Roman Maze with Golden Dixie another three-quarters away in third. Zomerlust followed the winner home on the far side to claim fourth slot.

“My wife, Alex rides him every day and has always said he’s a good horse,” Nicholls said.

“David made all on him over seven furlongs at Doncaster and this stiff six suited him.

“Ice Planet has had a busy campaign while this one came here with clean heels.”

It was a welcome big-race success for McCabe, who said: “That was a nice winner – it was needed.

“I had a look across at halfway and we were always up on the other side. There was plenty of pace on our side and my horse picked up nicely.

“I maybe could have done with a lead for a bit longer but I thought I’d better go in case they started closing on the other side.”

Despite the gamble on the favourite, the winner was a loser for the sponsors and cost them over £90,000.

The result provided few clues to the best draw for the Ayr Gold Cup with not much between the two groups overall.

The rest of the afternoon belonged to local trainer Ian Semple who saddled his first treble after Curtail, Grigorovitch and Frank Crow obliged for the Carluke-based handler at accumulative odds of 588-1.

Curtail sprang a 33-1 shock when bolting up on his first run for Semple in the Scottish Daily Mirror Harry Rosebery Stakes.

The colt, recently bought privately off owner John Fretwell, produced a personal best performance under Tom Eaves to take the Listed contest.

Curtail was settled off the pace before quickening through to lead inside the final furlong to beat Fretwell’s runner Campbeltown in good style by a length and three-quarters.

“I’ve only had the horse five weeks. He came out of Ed McMahon’s yard,” Semple said.

“We just gave him a few weeks to settle in. We haven’t done much with him, Ed has done all the hard work. We’ve just freshened him up and we were just hopeful.

“We bought him with this race in mind and it’s worked out, so it’s great when you get a return.”

Fretwell was gracious in defeat and said: “I’m pleased for them, they’ve bought a nice horse. That’s my game, I buy them and I sell them at a realistic price.”

Semple and Eaves made it a double when Grigorovitch produced a telling burst of speed to land the HBG Properties Handicap.

The 11-1 shot came from well off the pace to hit the front inside the final furlong and beat Jude Street by three-quarters of a length.

“He’s going the right way,” said Semple.

“I got him off Barry Hills at the July Sales and he won at Musselburgh for us and now he’s won here.

“He’ll probably go back to Musselburgh in October, there’s a nice sprint there for him.

“We’ll geld him over the winter and give him time to recover because I think he’ll make up into a nice horse next year.”

Frank Crow made it a day to remember for Semple when the odds-on chance recorded a comfortable victory in the James Barr European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes.

The youngster stood out on form and the Paul Hanagan-ridden 4-9 favourite did not let his supporters down with a two-and-a-half-length verdict over Sinner Or Saint.

Semple joked: “That’s my first treble and I’m delighted – I’m a poor man and I need all the help I can get.”

And of the winner he added: “He needs the better ground and that’s why we’ve been sitting on him this summer.

“I think seven furlongs is fine for him at the moment. I put him in the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy (six furlongs) thinking if the ground came up soft I might take a chance and go for it. Other than that I think he’ll get a mile easily.”

Charlie Delta romped home by four lengths under Danny Tudhope in the Knight Frank Nursery for York trainer Declan Carroll.