Debut ride yields second win in space of eight days for Borders racehorse trainer Katie Scott

Borders racehorse trainer Katie Scott is enjoying her best season to date and the wins are keeping coming.
Ben Asker after being ridden to victory for Lindean racehorse trainer Katie Scott by jockey Billy Garritty at Ayr on Monday (Photo: Katie Scott)Ben Asker after being ridden to victory for Lindean racehorse trainer Katie Scott by jockey Billy Garritty at Ayr on Monday (Photo: Katie Scott)
Ben Asker after being ridden to victory for Lindean racehorse trainer Katie Scott by jockey Billy Garritty at Ayr on Monday (Photo: Katie Scott)

Scott notched up a first-place finish with 40-1 outsider Ben Asker in his debut run for her Lindean yard, near Selkirk, in a seven-furlong handicap at Ayr yesterday, July 11, to claim its £3,456 first prize.

That was the four-year-old bay gelding’s first win ever and it came, with Billy Garritty as jockey, only two weeks after Scott took over his training.

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Ben Asker is being leased out to Scott by fellow Borders trainer Paul Robson, based at Spittal-on-Rule, near Denholm, as he’d failed to impress over hurdles in three attempts since November, pulling up twice and finishing 11th out of 12 on the other occasion, and the pair reckoned – correctly, as it turned out – that he might fare better on the flat.

Borders racehorse trainer Katie Scott with Gweedore following one of his previous seven wins (Photo: Bill McBurnie)Borders racehorse trainer Katie Scott with Gweedore following one of his previous seven wins (Photo: Bill McBurnie)
Borders racehorse trainer Katie Scott with Gweedore following one of his previous seven wins (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

“The horse belongs to Paul’s dad Adam, and they bought it to go over jumps but that wasn’t working out for them,” said Scott.

“Paul had the horse in great order and he was super-fit when he came to me so I can’t take too much credit.

“He had run on the flat in Ireland well enough so Paul got in touch to say he thought he might be a really good fit for my yard.

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“We thought it would be good for him to come here and have a few runs on the flat.

“Paul doesn’t have a flat licence at the moment, though it’s something he probably will go for in the future, so Ben might end up back at Paul’s at some point.

“It’s more a sort of lease situation than a buy or sell thing, but it’s been really good.

“We thought he’d run well at Ayr.

“We’re just a small yard and there’s not a lot of talk about our horses so they can just slip under the radar a bit like that.

“We were thrilled. Every winner is super-important to us.”

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That was Scott’s 10th win on the flat in the last 12 months and her second in the space of just over a week, Gweedore having scored a career-best victory at the South Ayrshire course the preceding weekend.

The five-year-old bay gelding, ridden by Hawick jockey Jason Hart on that occasion, has now notched up eight wins, and that victory, in his third race in five days, followed two second places, at Musselburgh in East Lothian and Haydock Park in Merseyside.

“He had three quick races on the bounce there,” said Scott.

“It just depends what form they’re in. If they’re athletes and enjoying it, we run them a bit quicker, and Gweedore really enjoys his job.

“He has now won eight races and is without a doubt a very special horse.”

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