Third win in two weeks for Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott at Musselburgh

Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)
Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)
Up-and-coming Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott notched up his third win in the space of two weeks at Musselburgh yesterday, October 2.

The 18-year-old rode Royal Duke to a first-placed finish at 11/2 in the 3.30pm Racing TV Profits Returned to Racing Handicap at the East Lothian course.

Trained by Mike Smith at Galston in East Ayrshire, the bottom-weight three-year-old bay gelding crossed the finishing line a length and a quarter ahead of 11/4 favourite Kyber Crystal, ridden by Kaiya Fraser and trained by County Durham’s Rebecca Menzies to claim the five-furlong race’s top prize of £3,664.

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Elliott, formerly employed by now-retired Hawick trainer Alistair Whillans but with County Durham’s Michael Dods Racing as an apprentice jockey since 2022, said of his winning mount: “Through riding him on the gallops and on the track, I’ve got to know him quite well, and he first showed me what he was capable of when sixth at a massive price here in August.

Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)
Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)

“He was then a good second here and was unlucky not to finish closer than third at Hamilton last time.

“He certainly has ability and he’s won a shade nicely.”

That was Royal Duke’s first win in his nine races to date and Elliott’s third in just over two weeks, following a double at Redcar on Tuesday, September 17, on Zuffolo for Dods and Bamboo Bay for fellow County Durham trainer Tracy Waggott, and his 14th of this flat season.

His win was one of four rides for Elliott on the day, also finishing seventh on Black Friday for Smith, sixth on Bamboo Bay for Waggott and 11th on Liberty Looming for Northumberland’s Adam Nicol.

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Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott, far right, after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott, far right, after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)
Hawick jockey Rhys Elliott, far right, after winning on Royal Duke at Musselburgh on Wednesday (Photo: Alan Raeburn/Musselburgh Races)

The teenager’s four previous races on Royal Duke yielded a seventh place at Hamilton Park in July, a sixth in Musselburgh at the end of August, a second there in mid-September and a third at Hamilton a week later.

Former Hawick trainer Iain Jardine, based at Carrutherstown in Dumfries and Galloway since 2015, racked up a winning double at the same meeting with the Gay Blade and Bint Al Karama.

The former won the 2.55pm Watch on Racing TV Handicap over seven furlongs at 4/1, with Oisin Orr riding, and the latter the 4.05pm Join Racing TV Now Selling Stakes one-mile-208-yard race at 7/1, with Andrew Mullen in the saddle.

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