Dedicated Hero takes Scottish Champion Hurdle crown

There was a home-trained winner of the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr when Dedicated Hero shone for Sandy Thomson.

The race changed in complexion greatly at the second-last flight when leader and top-weight Tutti Quanti came to grief, but perhaps more pertinently he badly hampered All In You, who was still on the bridle at the time.

That left Dedicated Hero, running from 6lb out of the handicap, on his own in front and the 12-1 chance had five lengths to spare over Captain Hugo. A Grade Two winner as a novice, he had lost his way until a recent wind operation and is two from two since.

“That’s not a bad way to get my 80th winner of the season, I’m delighted,” said winning rider Danny McMenamin.

“I got a lovely position behind Harry (Cobden on Tutti Quanti) for most of the way. We were desperate for the rain as ideally he wants further, but with the ground the way it was it all worked out.”

Thomson said: “He’s had such an in-and-out season and when he got brought down at Musselburgh over fences we were all in despair, but had that not happened we probably wouldn’t be here today.

“He was a short price in-running in the Morebattle but his wind caught him out, we had that seen to and he loves this soft ground.

“I was confident we’d have won whatever else happened.”

Testing ground saw Irish-trained Moudan (4-1) come to the fore in the Scotty Brand Handicap Chase.

Ciaran Murphy was having just his third runner in the UK but on this evidence he will be back and champion jockey Sean Bowen knew who to side with.

Bowen said: “It’s heavy ground, but when it’s like that you want to be riding for the Irish because they are a lot more at home in heavy ground than we are.

“They just keep driving on, their horses are used to it.”

Murphy said: “It’s lovely, it’s great for the yard and we’re really pleased with that.

“The ground was probably a little tight for him the last day at Fairyhouse, but he ran a lovely race which put this race on the radar.

“We didn’t think he’d get his ground, but we’ve been keeping an eye on it for the last week and it was proper heavy when we got here this morning.

“He’s some horse, he’s improving all the time. That will be it for the season now. It’s hard to know where he’ll end up next year as ground is a big factor.”

Tom Lacey was scheduled to have a host of runners on the card but due to the heavy ground took them all out barring Pounding Poet in the CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase and he won at 18-1 for Stan Shepherd.

Lacey said: “I’m glad we ran him! There was some really good form there from his Newbury run, but it’s a nice surprise.

“He can run in the veterans’ races in the depth of winter next season.”