Karl Burke’s Diamond sparkles as Ayr love affair continues

Beautiful Diamond shone brightest as she maintained her perfect record at Ayr to secure the Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes.

The daughter of Twilight Son was always prominent in the five-and-a-half-furlong contest and pulled clear inside the final furlong.

Star Of Mehmas, trained by Richard Hughes, tried to challenge late on, but Beautiful Diamond streaked clear by two and a half lengths to justify her tag as 85-40 favourite.

Karl Burke’s charge made it three victories from three starts – all at Listed level – at the track as she helped complete a double for trainer and jockey Clifford Lee after Aspiral (4-1) had won the opener.

“She’s a lovely horse, very classy,” Lee told Racing TV. “She’s obviously had some time off, she’s been flying, in good form at home so I’m delighted to win on her today.

“A few times she’s ran at Newmarket and every time she comes back she’s a little bit jarred up. But she always seems to win here, she loves the track and loves this very soft ground.

“That’s the key to her (the ground). She obviously loves soft ground and she goes through it nicely.

“The way she kept going, she was pulling away from the field. An extra half-furlong probably wouldn’t be amiss.”

Chairmanfourtimes continued his brilliant juvenile campaign by landing the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes for Adrian Keatley.

The son of Nando Parrado had never been outside the top three on all six previous starts as a two-year-old and he ensured a black-type victory by half a length in Scotland.

In the hands of Oisin McSweeney, Chairmanfourtimes worked his way into the five-furlong sprint before kicking into gear in the closing stages to pass Our Cody and seal his second career success at the price of 12-1.

It was a poignant victory for co-owner Andy Finneran, who saw another of his horses trained by Keatley, Flying Finn, suffer a fatal injury during the opening day of the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup Festival.

“I’m delighted for Andy for this horse to win today, they had a bad day yesterday so this will give them the lift they require,” Keatley said.

“We think he’s probably a proper five-furlong horse even though today he was a little bit flat out on that ground, but he stayed really well today. He got a bump late on and if he hadn’t, he might have won a bit easier.

“He’s a good horse for the future. He’s been ultra-consistent all season, so we expect big things as a three-year-old.”

Julie Camacho’s Winged Messenger (17-2) held off a flying finish from Woven to win the Ladbrokes Ayr Bronze Cup.

The son of Postponed claimed the third triumph of a successful four-year-old campaign, but it was Michael Dods’ veteran who caught the eye as he nearly stole victory following a barnstorming late surge, going down by a neck.

Lee’s day got even better as he took the honours in the final two races for a four-timer.

Cisco Disco (9-1) ran out an impressive winner by four and a quarter lengths in the second division of the Graeme Allan’s 70th Birthday Pension Scheme Handicap before snatching a half-length victory aboard Just Dottie (10-1) in the Slater Menswear Handicap, both for local trainer Mike Smith.