Louis The Pious brings Frank Gillespie unlikely double
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Frank Gillespie has just a handful of Flat horses in training, but one of them is The Grey Gatsby, who conquered Australia last weekend, and another is Louis The Pious, who took Scotland by storm yesterday to win the Ayr Gold Cup.
This famous old contest was once restricted to horses bred and trained in Scotland, but these days it is dominated by English raiders, in particular sprinters from Yorkshire, who have won 12 of the 15 renewals this millennium after this first race triumph for David O’Meara.
Louis The Pious, the runner-up 12 months ago and a winner at Royal Ascot in June, is clearly talented, but quirky, too, and O’Meara, his trainer, fitted him with a visor for the first time to keep him sweet.
James Doyle was paying his first visit to Ayr for seven years, but he knew exactly where he wanted to be on the 10-1 shot after winning the Silver Cup earlier in the afternoon aboard Huntsmans Close from box 27 (Friday’s Bronze Cup was won by a horse from the same stall).
“There’s a golden highway up the rail and I made sure I got on it,” said a beaming Doyle after driving Louis The Pious clear for his third win of the afternoon.
That “golden highway” – a strip of ground about three horses wide close to the stands rail – was heavily criticised by several trainers, who complained that there shouldn’t be such a huge bias, but in fact several of those drawn low in the main event who stuck to the far rail did get properly involved, including the runner-up Minalisa.
The wait for a woman rider to win the Ayr Gold Cup goes on after Amy Ryan was third on Blaine, the 7-1 favourite, while iti s 39 years since Scotland cheered a home winner.
Scottish racing is, though, celebrating what most in the industry regard as a major victory; grave concerns were voiced that a Yes vote last Thursday would have been disastrous in terms of funding.
It’s Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting next weekend and one of the undoubted highlights will be take three of Tiggy Wiggy v Anthem Alexander as the speedball starlets go head-to-head again in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes.
Tiggy Wiggy is the filly with the momentum and is fancied to win this “decider” before taking on her elders in the Prix l’Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc day.
John Gosden’s fabulous season may get even better; Cornrow’s fine effort over an inadequate distance at Ascot recently had “Cambridgeshire winner” written all over it.
For information regarding the QIPCO British Champions Series visit britishchampionsseries.com
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments