De Balme possible for Sandown bid
Iris De Balme could bid for a speedy big-race double next week after his shock Coral Scottish Grand National victory.
Sent off an unconsidered 66-1 shot, Iris De Balme made light of the fact he was running from nearly two stone of the handicap as he breezed to a 14-length success in the Ayr event.
And trainer Sean Curran is eyeing a rapid return for another big pot at Sandown.
He said: “He is in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown next Saturday and although he is out of the handicap again, I think we will run him before the handicapper gets a hold of him.
“And we will have to have a think about the Aintree National next year. He was entered two seasons ago but was not rated high enough to get in.”
On a day of surprise results, 40-1 chance Border Castle claimed the Samsung Electronics Scottish Champion Hurdle for trainer Andy Haynes.
Haynes is currently away viewing horses in Ireland but his absence did not stop Border Castle in the Grade Two event.
Nick Scholfield kicked into the lead four flights from home and his mount kept on gamely to hold the challenge of 9-4 favourite Takeroc by three lengths.
Scholfield was gaining swift compensation after picking up a 10-day ban for an ill-judged ride at Taunton on Friday.
He said: “I made a mistake there and you have to learn from your mistakes, but it is great to have come back and ridden a big race winner so soon.”
Timmy Murphy stole the rest of the show with a hat-trick aboard Overserved, Merigo and Marcel.
Overserved, who came out on top in the Ballochmyle By Ardgowan Homes Handicap Hurdle at odds of 25-1, and Cenkos Securities Novices’ Handicap Chase winner Merigo (13-2) are both owned by Murphy’s future in-laws Ray and Anita Green.
Marcel (6-1), who was a five-length victor in the Albert Bartlett And Sons Handicap Chase is owned by David Johnson and Murphy said: “They were important winners to ride and it has been a great day!”
Green added: “It has been a fantastic meeting.
“We were going to run Merigo at Kelso on Sunday but David was running Standin Obligation so we thought we would take our horse out and give him a better chance as he is in a battle with JP McManus for the leading owner title.
“So we have both had winners of good races and long may it continue.”
La Vecchia Scuola (3-1) won for the second time in 24 hours as she bounded clear to land the Purvis Marquees Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle and trainer Jim Goldie said: “I thought she would be odds-on, I couldn’t believe their generosity!
“I was in two minds about whether to miss this and go to Punchestown, but it was a £12,000 race so here we are and provided all is well she will still go Punchestown a week today, she will be my first runner there.”
Starzaan benefited from a never-say-die ride by Robert Thornton to floor Noland in the Ashleybank Investments Future Champion Novices’ Chase.
Thornton said: “He completely missed the third-last but he landed safely, picked himself up and then galloped on.”
Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh may have been out of luck with both Takeroc and Noland but they did get on the scoresheet as Conflictofinterest (6-4 favourite) showed the way home in the Ashleybank Investments Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
