Baby Ticker wins at Ayr today

A family affair!

Baby Ticker, upped in class, upped 8lb in the handicap, battled hard approaching the last to gain the upper hand on the favourite Raised On Grazeon to gain her first victory at the 10th time of asking. Of course, you may remember the mare chucking one away at Sedgefield on the run-in last season, so she could be thought of as a winner-in-waiting....

Racing lazily and driven along virtually throughout the 2 mile event, our confidence only started to grow when 'Baby' drew alongside the eventual second over the last and stayed on well under pressure all the way to the line.

The Whillans family.....Baby Ticker was ridden by Callum, trained by father Donald and is owned & was bred by Callum's grandfather 'Papa' Chuck!
Plus Chuck owned the dam Baby Gee as a racehorse, and she was trained at Dodlands to win 6 races. Read more about the family by clicking on her name to take you to Baby's racing page.
It was also a red letter day for young Rachel Murray, who looks after Baby Ticker each summer (and has done since she was born), absolutely dotes on the mare and always leads her up in her races. She was more thrilled than us!!

See Callum's post race interview on RacingUK here.

Baby Ticker is now 9 years of age, but has not too many miles on the clock and another 0-120 handicap hurdle will be the aim this season - oh, and maybe a set of blinkers.

The chestnut Baby Ticker pictured in a recent gallop

The day ended on a slightly down note as, having run his heart out in third place beaten under a length in the 2½ mile handicap hurdle, Tomahawk Wood finished lame and was quickly pulled up and dismounted after the line.
He was given pain-killing injections by the racecourse vet, after he had removed the gelding's off-hind shoe - suspected poisoned foot. Hopefully nothing more serious, but of course we'll keep a close watch in him during the night.

A shame, as he was so brave battling back from the last to get so close.

Tomorrow's Ayr runner

Subject to an 8am inspection - Ayr Clerk of the Course Graham Anderson describes prospects as 'definitely touch and go' -  we head back to Ayr tomorrow with Side of the Road to compete in the 2m handicap hurdle.
We don't go back to the West Coast venue tomorrow with anywhere near the same level of expectation as today, as the Beneficial mare has not shown much form so far in her career. Still, this is another race for her to gain experience, and maybe the handicapper will lower her to a more realistic mark.

The good looking mare Side of the Road pictured earlier this season