Joes Edge pips Cornish Rebel at Ayr

LONDON: Joes Edge battled back to nail Cornish Rebel right on the line in a rousing finish to the Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National at Ayr yesterday. The short-head victory gave Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy handsome compensation for Granit D’Estruval’s last-fence fall when bang in contention for the marathon contest 12 months ago. But it also meant that Cornish Rebel’s jockey, Ruby Walsh, failed by a whisker to make racing history by becoming the first rider to complete the National ‘grand slam’ in a season. He had already been successful in the Welsh and Irish versions as well as in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Hedgehunter only last Saturday.

Keith Mercer, 23, enjoying his biggest win by far, produced Joes Edge (20-1) with a well-timed run to edge out Walsh on Cornish Rebel (9-2) after an epic battle to land the 70,000 first prize. Another Rum (10-1) took third spot, a further 10 lengths away, with Double Honour (20-1), who led the field into the home straight, in fourth. After a steady pace early on, Timmy Murphy took up the running on 4-1 favourite Comply Or Die. However, he was done with in the back straight on the final circuit as Walsh started to make headway going smoothly on Cornish Rebel. Walsh looked to have work to do coming to the third-last but the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding soon got into top gear and moved up to challenge Double Honour on the run to the penultimate fence, where Joes Edge had also slipped into contention on the far rail.

Double Honour began to wander as he tired and rolled into the path of Cornish Rebel, hampering Walsh’s mount. Joes Edge, who was also slightly hampered in the scrimmaging, jumped into the lead two out and was still in front of Cornish Rebel as he sailed over the last. Walsh’s mount was not to be easily denied, though, and fought hard to squeeze in front halfway up the run-in, only for Joes Edge to come back at him and get the race on the nod. Murphy, who won the race in 2000 with Paris Pike, was on holiday in Dubai and it was left to Mercer to do the post-race interviews. Once he had got his breath back, he said: “It’s unbelievable. I never dreamt I’d win it today. I knew I was on a good horse but I didn’t know he was that good.

“I thought I was beat halfway up the run-in but I just got my head down and gave him everything I had and he responded for me - he was brilliant. “I didn’t know if he’d stay but obviously he does. We were in unknown territory and I rode him to get the trip. “I was just a little bit slow over a couple down the back for the last time and I gave him a chance and he came back on the bridle. “He just came there nicely and I perhaps hit the front a bit soon, because he idled. But when the other horse came to him he was brilliant, he was brave. “It’s brilliant for Ferdy after last year and I’m just grateful for him giving me these chances, because you can’t do it without the horses underneath you.”

Nicholls, suffering a body blow to his hopes of winning the trainers’ title, said of Cornish Rebel: “He ran bloody well, didn’t he? “I’m gutted. He got there and then just pricked his ears. When the other one came at him again, he stuck his neck out right on the line. And that was after Ruby said he got murdered after three out.” When asked if he was disappointed at missing out on the ‘grand slam’, Walsh said: “I very likely won’t get the chance again and obviously it is disappointing. “If you get in front halfway up the run-in you think you are going to win.