QTS Scottish Champion Hurdle |
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| Grade 2, Limited Handicap, Ayr 14:35 £100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1  |
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| Saturday 18th April 2015 | |
1 Cheltenian 10/1
2 Sign Of A Victory 7/2F
3 Ifandbutwhynot 20/1
NR: I Shot The Sheriff (IRE)
14 ran Distances: nk, 2½l, ½l
TIME 3m 35.30s (fast by 3.70s)
Cheltenian takes the Scottish Champion Hurdle under a 'Thou Shalt Not Pass' ride from Richard Johnson
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After Bertimont and Violet Dancer had set a solid gallop, Cheltenian and Sign Of A Victory knuckled down to slog it out.
It was nip and tuck on the run to the line, with the Philip Hobbs-trained Cheltenian just proving the stronger by a neck, with Ifandbutwhynot two and a half lengths back in third.
Hobbs said: "We hoped he'd run well, but we didn't think he'd go and win.
"This has been a fantastic horse. He won the Cheltenham bumper some years ago, but he hasn't won for a bit (since December 2013) and what a time to come back and win.
"He's had mainly tendon problems and had a long time off. He's come back really well and for the last two years we've not known whether to go two miles or two and a half. He's done it fantastic today."
QTS Scottish Champion Hurdle
£100,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m, Class 1
14 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places
| Pos | Dist | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Cheltenian (FR) 10/1 | R Johnson 10-13 |
P J Hobbs | 9 | |
| 2nd | nk | Sign Of A Victory (IRE) 7/2f | A Tinkler 11-0 |
N J Henderson | 6 |
| 3rd | 2½ | Ifandbutwhynot (IRE) 20/1 | J J Burke (3) 10-5 |
D O'Meara | 9 |
| 4th | ½ | Handiwork 22/1 | Sean Bowen (3) 10-4 |
S Gollings | 5 |
| 5th | 2½ | Gassin Golf 10/1 | T Scudamore 10-8 |
R Lee | 6 |
| 6th | 3¼ | Calipto (FR) 15/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies 10-9 |
P F Nicholls | 5 |
| 7th | 1½ | Bertimont (FR) 12/1 | Harry Skelton 11-4 |
D Skelton | 5 |
| 8th | hd | Cool Macavity (IRE) 16/1 | Nico de Boinville 10-4 |
N J Henderson | 7 |
| 9th | 5 | Roman Flight (IRE) 25/1 | Aidan Coleman 10-6 |
David Dennis | 7 |
| 10th | 1 | Sea Lord (IRE) 9/1 | A P McCoy 11-1 |
J P Ferguson | 8 |
| 11th | 7 | Pearl Castle (IRE) 10/1 | Dean Pratt (7) 10-6 |
J J Quinn | 5 |
| 12th | 29 | Violet Dancer 14/1 | L P Aspell 10-7 |
G L Moore | 5 |
| PU | Irving 15/2 | Nick Scholfield 11-10 |
P F Nicholls | 7 | |
| F | Cinders And Ashes 18/1 | Henry Brooke 10-7 |
D McCain Jnr | 8 | |
| NR | I Shot The Sheriff (IRE) (ex5) 4/1 | P Townend 10-5 |
A J Martin | 8 |
