Day To Remember For Semple

Local trainer Ian Semple had a red-letter day at Ayr on Friday when he saddled his first treble thanks to wins with Curtail, Grigorovitch and Frank Crow.

Curtail sprang a 33-1 shock when bolting up on his first run for Semple in the Scottish Daily Mirror Harry Rosebery Stakes.

The colt, recently bought privately off John Fretwell, produced a personal best performance under Tom Eaves to take the Listed contest by a length and three-quarters from his previous owner´s Campbeltown.

'I´ve only had the horse five weeks. He came out of Ed McMahon´s yard,' Semple said.

'We just gave him a few weeks to settle in. We haven´t done much with him, Ed has done all the hard work. We´ve just freshened him up and we were just hopeful.

'We bought him with this race in mind and it´s worked out, so it´s great when you get a return.'

Fretwell was gracious in defeat and said: 'I´m pleased for them, they´ve bought a nice horse. That´s my game, I buy them and I sell them at a realistic price.'

Semple and Eaves made it a double when Grigorovitch produced a telling burst of speed to land the HBG Properties Handicap.

'I got him off Barry Hills at the July Sales and he won at Musselburgh for us and now he´s won here,' Semple said.

'He´ll probably go back to Musselburgh in October there´s a nice sprint there for him.'

Frank Crow completed the 588-1 three-timer when the 4-9 chance recorded a comfortable victory under Paul Hanagan in the James Barr European Breeders Fund Maiden Stakes.

Semple joked: 'That´s my first treble and I´m delighted - I´m a poor man and I need all the help I can get.'

David Nicholls sent out the winner of the totesport Ayr Silver Cup for the fourth time in the last eight years when Machinist burst clear to score in style.

The Thirsk trainer, renowned as the ´sprint king´, was responsible for four of the 28 runners in the six-furlong handicap, including the heavily-backed 4-1 favourite Ice Planet.

But it was the stable´s 12-1 shot, enterprisingly ridden by David McCabe, who emerged victorious.

'My wife, Alex rides him every day and has always said he´s a good horse,' Nicholls said.

'David made all on him over seven furlongs at Doncaster and this stiff six suited him.

'Ice Planet has had a busy campaign while this one came here with clean heels.'

It was a welcome big-race success for McCabe, who said: 'That was a nice winner - it was needed.'

Despite the gamble on the favourite, the winner was a loser for the sponsors and cost them over #90,000.

Joe Fanning landed a near 24-1 double in the last two races on Blonde Streak and Rule For Ever.

The former took the West Sound Handicap to provide some consolation for totesport as the mare is part-owned by their chairman Peter Jones´ wife, Liz.

Rule For Ever outstayed his rivals after making all the running in the Jacob´s Creek Handicap to give the in-form Mark Johnston camp with yet another winner.

Charlie Delta romped home by four lengths under Danny Tudhope in the Knight Frank Nursery for York trainer Declan Carroll.

? PA Sport