RICHARD Fahey, the Yorkshire-based trainer, was the man with the Midas touch yesterday as he landed the Ayr Gold Cup with the well fancied Don’t Touch after the unbeaten three-year-old won by half a length to claim the richest sprint handicap prize in Europe.
The three-day Western meeting had so far been a real success for the Fahey team, but it got a lot better on Gold Cup day. The trainer won four of the eight races on the card, with owners Nicholas Wrigley and Kevin Hart taking three of them.
It was a touch of magic for Fahey as Another Touch won the opener and then the appropriately named Right Touch won the Microtech Group Handicap. These wins book-ended the Gold Cup victory of Don’t Touch, who became the first favourite to win Scotland’s premier flat race since 1996 and the first three year-old to win since Funfair Wane back in 2002.
Don’t Touch had the perfect trip and beat the outsider Poyle Vinnie into second, with Ninjago back in third and Toofi rounding off the places in fourth.
The Dutch Art gelding won the Great St Wilfrid handicap at Ripon back in August after previous successes in handicaps at Wolverhampton and Haydock, races in which he was required to compete in order to take his place in the field in the £100k-plus heritage handicap.
This was Fahey’s first win in the race since Fonthill Road scooped the prize in 2006. The Irishman admitted to showing a rare moment of emotion after the victory. “I had a tear in my eye and it’s not very often you get me to cry,” Fahey said. “I’ve waited nine years to win this race and I’ve been placed a few times. You need a special horse to win it – a Group horse, to be honest.”
There are no immediate plans for the horse to make that inevitable step up into Group company. Fahey confirmed: “He’ll have a holiday for now and we will get him back in January and take it from there.”
Winning jockey Tony Hamilton was satisfied with how the race developed, as it turned out he had the plum draw in stall eight. “He was very professional today,” Hamilton said. “He travelled really well. We got to the front a bit early if I’m honest, but he’s seen it out really well.”
Overall, it was a stellar day for Richard Fahey as he also trained the winner of the Gold Cup consolation race, the Silver Cup, with Tatlisu. The five-year-old, ridden by Jack Garritty, beat stable mate George Bowen into second.
It wasn’t just at Ayr in which Fahey had success but also at Catterick and Newbury, where the highly regarded Ribchester won the Group Two Mill Reef Stakes. The only thing that seemed to go wrong for the Fahey team was when Hamilton nearly dropped the Gold Cup during the presentation.
Scotland once again needs to wait for another Gold Cup winner trained north of the Border – it’s been 40 years since Roman Warrior’s success – after this year’s two hopefuls failed to land a blow. The Jim Goldie-trained Jack Dexter finished in 13th after a one-paced showing on ground he would have preferred with more cut while Sound Advice from the yard of Keith Dalgleish trailed in last.
However, there was an aptly named winner of the Doonside Cup, as the Andrew Balding-trained Scottish won the one mile, two furlong, Listed event, after beating the short-priced favourite Mutakayyef by a neck, which was well received by the large crowd at Ayr.
Hayley Turner, who is due to retire at the end of the season, won Scotland’s only Group race, the Group Three Firth of Clyde Stakes, on Shaden. The Lady Cecil-trained Kodiac filly got up to beat the Irish raider Only Mine by a neck.
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