Tax Free in anticipation of the William Hill Ayr Silver Cup
The performances of all the horses at Doncaster has set different fates for each one as far as the participation and chances of winning in the Ayr Gold Cup is concerned. Some are trying their luck at the Ayr Silver Cup and some at Ayr Gold Cup. One such
candidate contesting for the Ayr Gold Cup is David Nicholls’s Tax Free.
The connections and specially the jockey, Adrian Nicholls, son of and trained by David Nicholls, is hoping that Tax Free will make up for his failure at Doncaster in the William Hill Ayr Silver Cup.
It was a field of 21 horses and Tax Free came out of the seventeenth stall which was not the most helping factor as the field was already crowded and he was quite far away from the rail.
He tried towards the rear, cleared one furlong quite neatly but was soon ridden over and could not find enough room to break out.
Adrian Nicholls explained that the horse could have won closer to what ended up being his actual position in the race if the interferences during the race could have been avoided due to which Tax Free had to slow down more than once and that also at quite
crucial stages.
Nicholls said, "He ran a blinder in the Portland. I don't think I'd have won, but I definitely would have been in the placings. I got hampered when I was making my run, got stopped in my tracks and he came home really strong”.
He just raced on with a persistent speed and then finished eighth in the line.
Nocturnal Affair won the Ladbrokes Portland (Handicap) who is trained by David Marnane and was ridden by Neil Callan and second in line was Confessional with connections Tim Easterby and Silvestre De Sousa.
The race that he won this season in June was Mike and Anne Guest Conditions Stakes. This was a race for four on the field with Singeur second and Verinco third in line.
The connections are positive and confident that Tax Free will be able to win the race almost effortlessly and that he would pose challenge for anyone who tries to cross him on the track.
Nicholls said, "He's probably the gamest horse we've got in training. If he gets into a battle and he's there at the furlong marker, it will take a good one to pass him”.
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