3 minute read

Julie Camacho runner goes one better than when narrowly denied in last week's Portland

Connections of Significantly would have been questioning their luck with a furlong to run as Julie Camacho's gelding, who looked unlucky when narrowly denied in the Portland Handicap at Doncaster a week ago, was seemingly facing a similar task behind a wall of horses in this big-field handicap.

The drop back to six furlongs eventually proved no issue although success looked unlikely for much of the way as Joe Fanning found his path continuously blocked in the 24-strong field.

However, Fanning, who was landing the Ayr Gold Cup for the first time, switched his mount off heels, and the 8/1 joint favourite showed a tremendous turn of foot to quicken up back into contention and pass the Richard Fahey-trained Ramazan under the shadows of the post.

The winning margin was a neck with half a length back to Gweedore in third.

"We're thrilled, he's a decent horse and it's a bit of compensation for last week when he ran so well and he just didn't quite make it," said Steve Brown, Camacho's husband and assistant.

"He's a horse that was very good in his younger days when he was produced by Karl [Burke] and he's just slowly working his way back to that level."

The success came just a week on from that brilliant effort in the Portland at Doncaster's St Leger meeting.

Brown added: "There's always a little bit of trepidation because you're never quite sure if they're in the same form, he's just had a quiet week.

"He did a couple of canters, and he didn't give us any indication that he wasn't well, we were happy to take our chances and I think we had to go for it with him being such a fancied runner.

"I think he'd have been an unlucky loser, but it worked out and I'm thrilled for Niall [O'Keeffe, owner], it's his first year with horses with us and it's great to win a big for him."