Racing Report
TOM MARQUAND rode his first course winner when Spanish stayed on well to land the Equi’s Exquisitely Irresistible Ice-Cream Fillies’ Handicap on Hamilton Park’s final meeting of the year.
The 7-4 favourite, trained in Newmarket by William Haggas, collared Golden Melody close home to win going away by a neck.
Marquand, whose wife Hollie Doyle has had two winners at the Lanarkshire track, said: “She’s certainly beat to it here and now I think Musselburgh is the only place I haven’t ridden a winner at yet. It won’t happen this year but it’s something I’d like to do as soon as I possibly can.
“This filly stays well and she stuck on nicely. I’d say she’d like a bit more it underfoot but she’s certainly going in the right way.”
Back in June, Astapor became one of the biggest-priced winners in the Flat in Britain when springing a 200-1 upset and the final race saw 125-1 chance Selecto strike for trainer Stella Barclay and jockey Shane Gray.
In a strange twist of fate, both horses are trained just a few miles apart in Lancashire by John Richies and Stella Barclay respectively.
By Gordon Brown