Ayr Saturday review, reaction and free video replays

Dats the way to do it!

Datsalrightgino (8/1) showed plenty of resolution to see off the challenge of Thunder Rock in the Grade Two Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices' Chase.

Jamie Snowden's charge had pulled up when favourite for the Magners Plate at the Cheltenham Festival but the cheekpieces, which he wore for the first time that day, were left off for this return to novice company.

Irish raider Telmesomethinggirl was an early faller, giving Rachael Blackmore no chance, while the writing was on the wall for favourite Balco Coastal from a long way out. Thunder Rock, sixth in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, and Datsalrightgino pulled clear of the remainder in the straight and there was little to choose between the pair until the final few yards when the winner asserted, pulling a length and three quarters clear.

Gavin Sheehan was the successful jockey and told ITV Racing: "He was just brilliant.

"He's got his ground and that was key but the whole way he was really struggling. His jumping was good enough to be fair, it was quick enough but I just thought the pace was strong; and he's won over two.

"He does hold a little bit back for himself and that's when I have to come into play and say 'go forward'. Going out onto the last circuit I got closer and the whole way into the straight I was getting closer and closer and then it was just keeping him up to his work. I was probably slow enough at the last and gave Heskin (jockey of Thunder Rock) another chance and then all of a sudden, after the back of the last, he really put his head down and battled onto the line.

"He'll probably actually improve for a step up in trip. Going down through his time figures over the last couple of furlongs and he's always finished very strong and a couple of times this year he's finished a strong second and he just didn't have that speed today in the race early."

Snowden added: "I don't think he really liked....the rain came on the day (at Cheltenham) and it didn't suit this chap. There was a false start and he got in behind a wall of horses and it didn't really work but you can put a line through that.

"He's been an improving young horse all season and it's nice to go and win a nice pot like that.

"I think he likes better ground but as you saw there he was outpaced the whole way so I think we'll be going up to three miles."

Andrews Away and gone

Sail Away (13/2) produced a superb round of jumping to run his rivals ragged in the CPMS Novices' Champion Handicap Chase.

Bridget Andrews was standing in for the injured Harry Skelton aboard Sail Away and got a great tune out of the seven-year-old who was winning for just the second time over fences on his ninth start.

Top-weight and favourite City Chief was far from foot perfect and was hard at work as the nearest pursuer entering the home straight.

Sail Away's advantage dwindled slightly but the pursuers made no real inroads with City Chief's exertions telling as he was caught for second by Forward Plan and only just held off the challenge of Temptationinmilan for third.

The winning margin was 11 lengths.

A delighted Andrews told ITV Racing: "I had a brilliant spin off him.

"He's always been a great jumper and he absolutely loves this ground, not many of them do, and he absolutely bounced off it. I think he quite enjoyed running off with me!"

Andrews has four rides on the feature jumps card, standing in for her husband and was pleased to reward the faith placed in her.

"I can't say that this is what I'm used to, slightly out of my comfort zone," she continued.

"I'm gutted that he can't be here to ride them but I'm glad that in some ways I've stepped up to the plate. I'm so grateful to everyone who gives me these opportunities."

It hasn't been the most successful of meetings for trainer Dan Skelton who cited race tactics as a possible reason with a number of his horses often held-up and he revealed that they made a plan to set out and make all with Sail Away.

"He's a fresh horse and that definitely helps," he said. "We had a long-term ambition to come here for that race and it's all come together.

"He's not a winter horse, he wants some nice ground. I had him entered in the Scottish National but I just felt that was a step too far at this point in his life. There are two races at Uttoxeter, one in May and one in June, if the ground is acceptable we'll go there but I wouldn't want to push the boat out too far."

There was a sad postscript to the race with the news that Oscar Elite broke a leg in-running and had to be put down.

Malystic comes good again

Two at the head of the weights fought out the finish to the opening Scotty Brand Handicap Chase.

Malystic (8/1) and Elixir De Nutz went toe to toe from the final fence to the line with the former coming out on top by three quarters of a length under Danny McMenamin.

It was a third victory of a productive season for the Peter Niven-trained Malystic with the nine-year-old enjoying a slight drop in grade after contesting the Game Spirit Chase and Grand Annual on his last two starts.

Malystic was going one better than in last season's renewal where he missed out by just a neck.

Speaking to Racing TV, Niven said: "He's a very good horse I think. Quite lightly raced and this is his first real, full season and he's done nothing but improve.

"This was always the plan (after Cheltenham). I still can't tell you what happened at Cheltenham, he ran 25 lb below what he should have run and I can't explain it, there was nothing wrong with him.

"This is his trip, a strongly run two. Every time I go a little bit further he doesn't get it so I think I'll just stay at two. Hopefully, he'll summer up in Scotland now and get him away from the yard for a bit."

Serious business

Grand National winning trainer Lucinda Russell had to settle for sixth in the Scottish Grand National with joint-favourite Your Own Story but did see Serious Operator (6/5 favourite) justify his position in the market in the following Tennent's Handicap Hurdle.

Having raced in mid-division, the progressive six-year-old picked up well for Patrick Wadge to reel in leader Hunter's Call and win by half a length with the same distance back to the third, Uhtred.

Wadge and Russell had to settle for second in the Macklin Motors Toyota Coming To Ayr "Hands & Heels" Handicap Hurdle as Castletown's (slightly) frustrating sequence continued.

Second or third in seven starts since winning at Kelso in May, Castletown locked horns with Voix Du Reve (7/1) in the straight but had no answer to his rival in the closing stages with the Iain Jardine-trained veteran keeping on well for Dylan Johnston.

Nicky Richards was another trainer who enjoyed high-profile success at Aintree who also had to settle for second .

Richards won the Grade Two bumper with Florida Dreams last weekend but a 4 lb penalty proved too much for Luckie Seven who failed to repel the challenge of Bumble Bee Bet (11/4 favourite).

The winner, trained in Ireland by Charles Byrnes and ridden by his son Philip, overcame obvious inexperience on his racecourse debut to win the Golf Inn Prestwick Open National Hunt Flat Race by half a length.

The bumper has been won by some fair performers in recent years with William Henry and Pym among them.

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