Wednesday May 21 proved to be a red letter day for the new Ayr Racecourse Racing Club with Jim Goldie’s PENELOPE’S SISTER giving the members their FIRST winner after just 5 runners in the closing apprentices’ handicap at 5.17.
Ridden by Jim Goldie’s apprentice jockey Lauren Young, the 5 year-old mare was dropped back to racing at a mile for the first time since last May and after laying up well with the early pace, Lauren took her to the front 2 furlongs from home and the pair were never headed as they raced to the line in front.
It was only Penelope’s Sister’s third run for the club members after losing efforts at 10 and 12 furlongs in her first two races of the season at Ayr and Catterick and her new found aptitude for racing at shorter distances opens up plenty of possibilties for the mare going forward through the summer.
The win was also another big day in Lauren’s fledgling career as a jockey, with the young rider from Kilmarnock landing an astonishing second double in 6 days, the rider having ridden 2 winners for Jim at Hamilton on Friday and Penelope’s Sister adding to her winner earlier on Wednesday’s card on one of those Hamilton winners Woohoo.
Members who managed to attend on a beautiful sunny day at Ayr on Wednesday also saw a hugely promising run from the club’s other horse, Sophiesticate, a full-sister to Penelope’s Sister and also trained by Jim Goldie.
Ridden by Amie Waugh, Sophiesticate went off as the outsider of the party at 40/1 but she outran those odds in some style by finishing just a length and a half behind the winner Glasses Up which was winning its 11th race at the track and extending his already impressive winning record at Ayr.
Sophiesticate had been dropped 3lbs in the ratings to a mark of 61 after her first run of the season at Ayr behind Spirit Of Acklam and the mare responded to Amie’s urgings all the way up the straight to suggest that she’ll be winning very soon when Jim manages to find the right race.
All in all, a fantastic day for the Ayr Racecourse Racing Club members in the very early days of our season racing these two mares and the form and current wellbeing of the horses would point to many more exciting days to come over the course of the Flat season.
