Dandy Nicholls and apprentice William Carson met face to face for the first time minutes before the race.
Horse racing newsDandy Nicholls and apprentice William Carson met face to face for the first time minutes before the race. But teamed up to give the Thirsk trainer his fifth winner of the John Smiths Gold Cup in nine years with Regal Parade at Ayr yesterdayto give the Thirsk trainer his fifth winner of the John Smiths Gold Cup in nine years with Regal Parade at Ayr yesterday.
Nicholls said: One of the owners booked William. I had never seen him before we met in the parade ring. I told him to ride the horse with plenty of confidence and he gave him a ride.
Carson, 19, and based with Stuart Williams at Newmarket, is the grandson of Stirling-born former champion Willie, who was at Newbury and said: I am light-headed and very happy for William; I am lost for words.
Regal Parade is owned by Aberdeen-based Derek Pearson, Alan Pirie and Sheena Taylor. Pearson said: A few years ago we had The Tatling in the race and Dandys Funfare Wane beat us into second, so we thought: if you cant beat them, join them.
The field for the six-furlong dash split into two groups and there were plenty with chances at the quarter-mile marker. However, Regal Parade burst into the lead inside the final furlong and passed the post with two-and-a-quarter lengths to spare over his stable companion Tajneed, with Confusion a nose away in third and Knot In Wood, first home on the far side, a neck further back in fourth.
Nicholls love affair with Scotlands richest Flat began when I was a kid, as he explained: I used to lead horses up for Derrick Bastiman and the Gold Cup has been my race ever since but I was never good enough to win it as a jockey.
He has made up for it since with those five wins in one of the most competitive races in the calendar, and apart from Regal Parade and Tajneed has also saddled Valery Borzov (11th), Northern Fling (19th) and Indian Trail (23rd). As far as the stable is concerned we dont mind what wins, he said. It is a team effort and although my son Adrian, who rode the runner-up (Tajneed), will be gutted, he will be pleased the team has won it we might take Regal Parade to Dubai this winter.
Nicholls junior said: My choice was between Tajneed and Valery Borzov and at least I got that right, but the main thing is that Dad trained the winner again. Knot In Wood has been declared to run at Hamilton tomorrow and faces a check in the morning.
The 15-2 favourite Advanced raced on the far side and finished 13th and his partner Neil Callan said: The ground was bit gluey for him. My horse struck the front inside the last two but got stuck in the ground.
Louis-Phillippe Beuzelin was suspended for one day for careless riding on sixth placed Patavellian.
Rising Prospect ran out a clear winner of the opening Nigel Angus Memorial Nursery at Ayr in the hands of Eddie Ahern. Owner Geoff Turnbull said: We came with half a mind to have him gelded depending on how he ran, but we wont now.
Alan Baileys Aspen Darlin bagged the Group Three Laundry Cottage Stud Firth Of Clyde Stakes under Jimmy Quinn.
Bolodenka, trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by Paul Hanagan, notched his first win in more than a year in the John Smiths Extra Smooth Ayrshire Handicap.
Frederik Tylicki was suspended for three days for careless riding on Benandonner.
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