Golden Ace disappoints Scott with lacklustre Wetherby return

WETHERBY RETURN: Jeremy Scott was at a loss to explain the performance of last season's Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace after she trailed home behind Dan Skelton's Kateira on her return at Wetherby. Picture: Healy Racing

Jeremy Scott was at a loss to explain the performance of last season's Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace after she trailed home behind Dan Skelton's Kateira on her return at Wetherby.

With the morning defection of Dysart Enos, only those two lined up in the bet365 Mares' Hurdle but it certainly did not lack for drama.

Harry Skelton set out to make sure there was no hiding place for Cheltenham's surprise heroine and ensured there was a strong pace on his guaranteed stayer Kateira (2-1).

Lorcan Williams appeared happy enough until the turn for home, when it appeared that Golden Ace had run out of fuel and she was allowed to coast home, beaten 28 lengths.

Scott said: "I think we came up against a match-fit horse and she's taken a bit of a blow, we knew she wasn't fully wound-up - but that was disappointing.

"We were up against a mare who stays well and they went hard. Maybe it was the quicker ground and the fact it was her first run of the season.

"Hopefully something shows up, you always want a reason, something will come out in the wash and I'm sorry she didn't run better. I had to get up very early to get here and I was hoping for a very good run.

"She was full of beans, she'd been so well at home, maybe it was the travelling. Coming into the bend Lorcan said she felt great, but then Harry kicked and she flattened out.

"She probably wasn't as straight as I thought but even so, it was disappointing. It wasn't solely the ground as she just stopped.

"Harry is tactically very aware and put us to the sword."

Dan Skelton was not getting carried away by the victory but has always rated his mare.

"I'm really happy but obviously you have to take the form with a pinch of salt because to my eyes the other mare was beaten after the first," he said.

"They winged along after the that. She'd been off the track for a while with an intricate pelvis injury but while she only beat one horse, she looked as good as ever.

"Se could go to Ascot for a £100,000 race in a few weeks."