TWELVE months on from securing second place in the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup, Louis the Pious put on a noble performance fit for the French King he is named after to win Europe’s richest sprint handicap.

English Jockey James Doyle made history as he completed a dream treble on a gloriously sunny afternoon at the Craigie track with his success on the 10-1 shot after triumphing in the Silver Cup on Huntsman’s Close and the opening race on Power Play.

He became the first jockey ever to complete the Silver and Gold Cup double on a remarkable afternoon which attracted bumper crowds to the course.

And owner David Gillespie was celebrating a second glittering triumph inside a week after his charge the Grey Gatsby had won at Leopardstown Drawn in just over the middle, the six-year-old came bided his time before sprinting up from quite a long way back to cruise to a two-and-half-length victory over Ray Guest’s Minalisa.

Firm favourite and heavily-backed Blaine came in third and Heaven’s Guest with Samantha Bell on board coming in fourth. Hamza, trained by former Gold Cup winner Kevin Ryan, had made the early running but eventually ran out of steam.

Ecstatic Gillespie, from County Donegal, who had fourth place in the Scottish Grand National back in April with Merry King and was victorious with Louis the Pious at Royal Ascot in June, said afterwards: “We have had a great season, we always knew Louis was a good horse, he was second last year and it’s great to come here and win it. This is his biggest success. David is a great trainer. We finished second last year and would have been happy with second and third as there were a lot of good horses in the field. “ The jubilant winning jockey said modestly afterwards: “It’s my first time at Ayr in seven or eight years, and I only scraped in for my first ride as my pilot was half an hour late. I can’t take any credit, the people who gave me the ride made it easy for me and I can’t thank them enough. The trainer and owner have done a fantastic job. These races are very valuable and it’s a dream come true and pretty special to win a treble including the Ayr Gold Cup. My job was very simple. I only had to point steer him.

“The draw was important and I was lucky with it. I didn’t need the rail, it was a dream passage in both the Silver and the Gold Cup.

Added O’Meara: “He came out of the same stall a last year’s winner. He is a horse with a lot of ability, he can sometimes run an indifferent kind of race. But on his day he is very good as we saw at Royal Ascot and today. These big field handicaps tend to bring out the best in him. When things go right for him he is very good.” The triumph for the Irish owner means 2015 will remarkably the 40th anniversary of the last Scottish-trained winner of the top race.

The Firth of Clyde Stakes was won by 25-2 shot Dark Reckoning, ridden by former Grand National-winning jockey Graham Lee, while 10-1 shot Ticking Katie won the William Hill Ayrshire Handicap Stakes on Ticking Katie.

Kilwinning-born jockey Danny Tudhope, who rode Louis the Pious last year, won the Microtech Support Handicap Stakes on 7-2 favourite Earth Drummer.

Another favourite, Buthelezi, with BA Curtis on board, won the last race of the afternoon, the Jordan Electrics Ltd Handicap Stakes.

Meanwhile Scottish trainer Keith Dalgleish enjoyed double success at the three-day meeting, Harrison’s Cave won the Grants Fruit Merchants Prestwick Handicap on Thursday and Beautiful Stranger was victorious in the Enterprise Screen 10 Years Video Handicap on Friday.

The Bronze Cup on Friday was won by David Nolan on Expose.

For the full story see this week's Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.