Kitty’s Light, a seven-year-old chaser trained by Christian Williams, emerged victorious in the Coral Scottish Grand National, beating Cooper’s Cross in a thrilling finish. The race took place at Ayr, and Kitty’s Light had finished as runner-up in the same competition last year, losing out to stablemate Win My Wings. Kitty’s Light had been running in big handicaps for three years, despite being only seven. After winning the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February, he was raised 8lb. Jack Tudor, who recently took on the role of stable jockey for David Pipe, rode Kitty’s Light to victory.
Williams, who trained Kitty’s Light at the start of his career, was emotional after the race. His five-year-old daughter Betsy was recently diagnosed with leukaemia, and the win was a great boost for the family.
He said: “It’s brilliant. He’s a very important horse. We’ve a big battle on at home with my daughter, but this is great and will cheer everyone up.
“I’m lucky to have the staff I’ve got, and the family. It’s a great tonic to the children watching at home and I’m looking forward to getting back tonight and seeing them all.”
Tudor praised Kitty’s Light, saying that the horse was a “legend” and had been trained to the “absolute minute”. He added that the win was a “massive lift” for Williams and his family, and if Betsy could be as tough as Kitty’s Light, she would be fine.
Williams revealed that he had a plan to go for the Eider Chase and then the Scottish Grand National with Kitty’s Light. The horse was slow to come to hand earlier in the season, but a piece of work 10 days before the race convinced Williams that Kitty’s Light was ready for the competition. Williams said that they needed luck in the race because Kitty’s Light was small, but the horse seemed to come to himself at this time of year. Williams added that fences probably got in the way for Kitty’s Light, who was bred for the Flat, but he was a great performer in four-mile chases.
Protesters from Animal Rising tried to disrupt the race, but they were quickly dealt with by police and officials, and the race started just a couple of minutes late.
If you want you quality horse racing tips sent to you daily then look no further and start your 14-day trial of Ron Williams Racing horse racing tipster service.
