Ayr review: Class tells for Lee and Midgley
Last Updated: 18/09/14 6:14pm
A review of Thursday's action at Ayr, where Graham Lee guided Orient Class to victory in the sprint handicap.
Trainer Paul Midgley gave jockey Graham Lee all the credit after Orient Class had ploughed a lone furrow down the stands side rail to run out a ready winner of the Wallace McDowall Handicap at Ayr.
While the rest of the field came down the centre of the course, Orient Class (8/1) stuck to the near side from his stall 18 draw.
Lee's move proved decisive as he made just about all the running in the five-furlong heat to score by two and a quarter lengths from Sewn Up, with Adrian Keatley's Irish raider Autumn Tide third.
"It was Graham's idea. The only thing I said to him was not to be worried about others, just ride your own race," Midgley told Racing UK.
"I wasn't bothered (by the draw) as this horse is better with a rail anyway.
"He's a very laid-back horse and will do what you ask him. The ground was quick enough for him today.
"He's in at Redcar on Wednesday."
Phillip Makin made the best possible start to the three-day fixture with a double on Moonlightnavigator and Get Knotted.
He produced Moonlightnavigator (13/8 favourite) to lead inside the final furlong and take the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes by a length and a half from Swift Approval.
"I thought a couple of furlongs out we might be in trouble, but he stays quite well and the step back up to a mile was always going to suit him and he's done it quite nicely," said trainer John Quinn's son and assistant, Sean.
"We might run him once more or we might put him away. I think he might make a nice three-year-old."
Get Knotted (2/1) got the better of Fullon Clarets in the closing stages to lift the SM Signs Maiden Auction Stakes by a neck.
"He's a bit raw and I think the race will have done him done a lot of good," said trainer Michael Dods.
"We may give him one run over seven, but I'm not fussed. He's a nice horse for next year."
The Quinn stable completed a double when Evanescent (5/1) took division two of the Quality And Value At the Irish Yearling Sales Handicap, a race he also won in 2013.
Division one was won by the Tim Easterby-trained Bachotheque (11/1), ridden by David Allan.
The Mark Johnston-trained Fire Fighting (9/2 joint-favourite) stormed to victory in the feature William Hill Handicap, defying a 6lb penalty for winning at Bath five days earlier.
The three-year-old came with a powerful dash to claim Maven over a furlong out and score by a length and a quarter.
"A great performance. He has come good now we've found the key to him," said Johnston.
"Not just putting the headgear on but also sitting him in behind and coming with a late run.
"He's also bred to improve with age and time and that's exactly what he's doing."
Winning rider Joe Fanning made it a 70/1 double when delivering the Keith Dalgleish-trained Harrison's Cave (12/1) to collar Choisan close home in the Grants Fruit Merchants Prestwick Handicap.
David O'Meara's Anderiego (11/2) came with a rattling run on the outside under Danny Tudhope to take the Hillside Quarry Supporting The Ayrshire Hospice Handicap by a length and a quarter from Coincidentally.