Perratt chasing Golden dream

Linda Perratt hopes to fulfil her life-long dream by winning the John Smith’s Ayr Gold Cup next month.

Perratt used to train a stone’s throw from the track at Cree Lodge Stables from where the last Scottish-based winner, Roman Warrior, was sent out by the late Nigel Angus in 1975.

She would still dearly love to win Scotland’s prestigious sprint handicap though she no longer trains near the course, having moved to Belstane Stables Carluke in Lanarkshire this year.

“The Ayr Gold Cup is a race I’ve always wanted to win. Nigel won it twice and he used to rib me about it,” said Perratt.

“I’m not across the road anymore but it’s a long time since a Scottish trainer won it. It’s about time history repeated itself. If I could have one with a good chance that would be excellent.”

She has four entries in the £150,000 handicap over the straight six furlongs on September 20 with three of them – Appalachian Trail (9st 8lb), Big Timer (9st 8lb) and Burnwynd Boy (9st 3lb) – guaranteed a run in a race where places are at a premium.

“Appalachian Trail is in at Goodwood on Tuesday, there’s also a race at Doncaster and obviously there’s the Gold Cup for him, so we’ll have to plan where we’re going to go,” she went on.

“It’s a long way to Goodwood, but if it’s the right one then no doubt he’d go.

“I think Big Timer will be a question mark for Ayr. He’s not been quite right since he won the Wokingham so he’s a wee bit tricky, but hopefully the other two will stand their ground with a bit of luck.

“Burnwynd Boy is in good form, but we’ve just not been able to run him as there’s not been much for him. We had him in a conditions race at Haydock where it was soft ground but we decided to wait for Ascot the following week but the ground was fast so we couldn’t go.

“We ran him at Chester but he didn’t handle the track with those bends and he didn’t have the best of draws and the ground dried up.”

Despite her reservations about Big Timer’s participation, he is the shortest-priced of her trio at 20-1 with Appalachian Trail 33-1 and Burnwynd Boy 40-1.