Willie Mullins struck an early Saturday blow in the trainers’ title race as Sharjah successfully stepped up to three miles for the first time in the CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase at Ayr.
Paul Townend gave the 7/1 winner, twice second in the Champion Hurdle, a wonderful ride, dropping him out before making stealthy headway to go to the front at the second last.
There was a scare when he got in close to the final fence, but the eleven-year-old was soon rolling again to beat Ballycoose (11/1) by two-and-a-half lengths.
The winning rider told ITV Racing: “He’s been a star of a horse. I remember riding him in his beginners’ chase and just feeling it really lit up the fire in his belly again. He loves jumping fences.
“He nearly got brought down at the first but it didn’t scare him and we hoped going out in trip in a handicap at three mile pace he’d find it easy and he did but he had to dig in at the end. He’s a brilliant horse.”
Fortune denies Closutton team
Bialystok (9/1) looked set to strike a significant blow for the Irish team in the next race, the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle, but having weaved through horses to lead for a stride after the last, he had to settle for second behind the rallying Favour And Fortune (5/1).
Still he added a further £21,200 to the Mullins tally with Dan Skelton’s 11/4 favourite L’eau Du Sud snaring only £2,660 in fifth.
Winning rider Tom Cannon told ITV Racing: “I had a dream run through the race and got there a bit sooner than I’d have liked. He was very gutsy off the back of the last and we’ve been saying all year he’ll be better on better ground and so it proved.
“I couldn’t believe how well I was going but he missed the third last and I had to give him a squeeze and he picked up straight away. It was a very good performance.”
Winning trainer Alan King told Racing TV: “I must say that when Paul (Townend, on Bialystok) headed us halfway up the run-in, I thought we were in trouble, but he battled back very well.
“It’s the first time since the start of the season that he’s been back on better ground, we’ve been running him on heavy and he’s such a good-actioned horse and his jumping was much better on better ground.
“He’s finished for the season – win, lose or draw, we were going to pull up stumps after today. Off the top of my head, I’d like to stay hurdling for another season, but we’ll enjoy today and worry about that in the autumn. He will make a chaser, but I think that could be farther down the line.”
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