Updated: Good things come in threes for Borders trainers at Ayr Races

Hawick racehorse trainer Paul Robson and wife Steph with Just Don't Know, a winner at Ayr this week (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

Good things come in threes, according to the old saying, and that’s how it turned out for Borders horse-trainers Stuart Coltherd, Donald Whillans and Paul Robson today, February 15, at Ayr Racecourse.

Selkirk’s Coltherd was the region’s first winner of the day in South Ayrshire.

His jockey son Sam rode Ard Chros, a 10-year-old bay gelding, to victory in the 2.30pm Virgin Bet Handicap Chase, beating eight other runners including Kelso trainer Sandy Thomson’s Mymilan to claim its £4,684 top prize.

Coltherd Jnr was also first past the post in the next race, the 3.05pm Virgin Bet Free Bets for Winners Handicap Chase, on Ardera Cross for South Lanarkshire handler Willie Young Jnr, with Thomson’s Seemorelights, ridden by Edward Austin, finishing second.

Hawick racehorse trainer Donald Whillans with Stolen Money (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

Hawick’s Whillans was the Borders’ second winning trainer of the day, with Stolen Money in the 3.40pm Virgin Bet Handicap Hurdle.

Ridden by Hawick jockey Craig Nichol, the seven-year-old bay gelding, owned by Whillans, beat six other finishers including Stoney Rover, trained by Thomson and ridden by his son-in-law Ryan Mania, to pick up £4,248 in prize money.

Nichol was also in the saddle for the third and final win of the day for the Borders trainers competing.

He rode Just Don’t Know, a nine-year-old bay gelding owned by Border Caravans, near Jedburgh, to victory for Spittal-on-Rule trainer Robson in the 4.15pm Virgin Bet Fives Handicap Chase, taking its £2,818 top prize.

Not only was that former jockey Robson’s third win since starting out as a trainer but both the other top-three places also went to Borderers, Shaka the King, trained by Thomson and ridden by Mania, being runner-up and the Coltherds’ To the Limit finished third.

Robson was delighted to see another of the 17 horses he trains winning, telling us: “To be honest, I get far more of a kick out of training horses than I ever did out of riding them.

“It was fantastic, and winning is great for the horses as well as it’s a reward for all the work they put in and we put in.

“Just Don’t Know is such a character as well. He basically tells us when he’s ready to run rather than vice versa and we know he’s going to have a good race.”