Ed Chamberlin reflects on the racing at Newbury and Ayr

This is a weekend when I usually love the hospitality on offer at Ayr as we head to Scotland. But as we all know 2020 is a year like no other and with current restrictions we broadcast from Newbury instead.

We were able to cover the thrilling action from Ayr and I was absolutely delighted for the sponsors QTS that they were served up a Gold Cup to remember.

It wasn’t because of a fairytale winner but one of the gambles of the season as Nahaarr thundered home from a seemingly impossible position to ultimately win well.

It was interesting to hear QTS say one of the reasons they backed the race this year was the big numbers watching the coverage on ITV and I hope the terrestrial TV audience encourages other companies to get involved as racing needs all the help it can get at the moment.

Nahaarr’s success completed a big-race double for William Haggas and Tom Marquand after they’d earlier landed the Jordan Electrics Doonside Cup Stakes with Addeybb.

I opposed him to my cost thinking conceding weight all round on ground that would have been lively enough for him and in a race being used as a stepping-stone to bigger autumn and winter targets, might catch him out.

It didn’t and granted soft going for the QIPCO Champion Stakes, then he’s a serious player at Ascot.

Kevin Ryan and Kevin Stott have been one of the combinations of the season and they landed another notable prize when Magical Spirit ran away with the QTS Ayr Silver Cup. He was racing in the colours of the very successful Hambleton Racing and along with the likes of Ontoawinner, Nick Bradley Racing and Middleham Park, it’s great to see the syndicates having so many good winners.

Like bringing in new sponsors, it has to be healthy for the game.

Down at Newbury it was a day dominated again by the racing story of 2020, the incredible year being enjoyed by Jim Crowley in the blue and white silks of Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Elarqam initiated another significant double with victory in the Dubai Duty Free Legacy Cup. He’s a horse, like a lot of Mark Johnston’s, that I struggle to get right but when he’s good, he’s very good.

He received quotes afterwards for races ranging from a mile to the Arc – but I tend to agree with Jason Weaver that ten furlongs is his trip. Given his breeding, a son of Frankel and Attraction, they’d love to win a Group One with him.

I always remember how proud his breeder, the Duke of Roxburgh, was of this colt and he will have been looking down smiling at another Group race win for his pride and joy.

The day got even better for the Crowley and the Shadwell team when Alkumait landed the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes.

Marcus Tregoning lost stable star Mohaather to injury last month and it’s wonderful to see him unearth such an exciting colt with another son of Showcasing.

Connections were concerned beforehand as he’s a horse with a fear of the wind and he was spooked by the noise going down to the start but he was a different proposition coming back.

It will be interesting to see where he goes next but the Whitsbury handler and his staff have a horse to go to war with in 2021.

Clearly a big part of today’s show was paying tribute to Pat Smullen. It was difficult to do and hard to deliver the words because of the huge sense of loss.

So much has already been written and broadcast about Pat. I’ll always remember how he flew over – off his own back – to offer help and advice to Abi Stock as she prepared to ride in a charity race at York. Her father had also suffered from pancreatic cancer and it was an incredible gesture.

He went on to spend the week with the ITV team at Chester and was wonderful company. He treated everyone, from the person making the teas to the producers, with the same respect. He had time for them all.

The stature of the man is summed up by the book of condolences opened up in his memory in Ireland. It has thousands of messages ranging from the President to the car park attendant at the Curragh.

Pat made an impact on everyone he met and while it’s clearly heartbreaking for his wife and three children, in time I hope they can be really proud of the legacy he has left behind.