Wild weather forces abandonment of Ayr race meeting

Oct 14 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

AYR Racecourse's Giles Insurance Raceday fell foul of extreme weather after severe winds and driving rain forced an abandonment after the third race.

But the three contests that were run all produced decent races with jockey Jamie Spencer justifying a 'white knuckle' flight in a single engined aircraft from Newmarket to land the first race on Never Perfect.

The Tom Tate trained colt took time to warm up in The Seric Systems Sweepstakes British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes before the penny dropped going into the final furlong and the 4/9 favourite won by by a length and a quarter from Hunting Gonk.

The Bud and Joe Pieroni Memorial Nursery Handicap went the way of 25/1 shot First Phase, ridden by Duran Fentiman for trainer Mel Brittain while the Intechnology Services Handicap was won by Cheyenne Red (6/1) for PJ McDonald and trainer Michael Dods.

After this race, jockeys, trainers and stewards walked the track and decided in the interests of safety to abandon the rest of the card due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Ayr's next meeting is The John Smith's Raceday on Saturday, October 29 with the first arce due off at 2.10pm.

More details from 01292 264179 or www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk