The Scottish Grand National festival at Ayr has been delayed after a medical emergency involving a racegoer. The delays began shortly before a scheduled 2.05pm race, and at the time of writing there is no time set for the resumption of the day’s action.
“Hopefully, first and foremost, all is okay with our racegoer who is receiving some attention there,” Racing TV’s anchor said during the channel’s coverage. “Good luck to the individual involved.”
Ayr is the home of the Scottish Grand National, which is due to get underway on Saturday. An ambulance was spotted at the scene, with things getting back underway around 2.33pm.
“The paramedics are currently attending to someone. Let’s hope we get a positive outcome,” Racing TV’s Gordon Brown said following the incident.
“It has been dealt with very quickly but we know no more than that.But due to that medical emergency there will be a slight delay to our second race of the day.”
The action at Ayr began at 1.30 with the Slater Menswear Handicap Hurdle. That race was won by Wilful, a 9/2 shot ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr.
The scheduled 2.05pm race was the Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd Mares’ Maiden Hurdle. Roxanne, ridden by Kielan Woods, went in as 10/3 favourite.
Last year, the Willie Mullins-trained Macdermott won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr. Mullins is coming off a winner at the Grand National at Aintree this year, when 33/1 shot Nick Rockett came out on top.
Reigning champion Macdermott is one of six runners for Mullins in Scotland this time out. Patrick Mullins, who rode Nick Rockett to glory at Aintree, will go for the win atop Olympic Man.
Willie Mullins was reduced to tears when reflecting on son Patrick’s victory on Nick Rockett. “It was some result,” he said. “It is lovely to be able to give your son a ride in the National, but to be able to win it is just unbelievable.”
Reflecting on his win, 33-year-old Patrick said: “I had too good a start and was having to take him back all the way. I was wondering at the Canal Turn had I lost too much ground, but he just jumped fantastic. Then I was there too soon and it is a long way from the back of the last with Paul on my outside.
He continued: “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.. I know it’s a cliché, but when I was five or six years old, I was reading books about the National and watching black and white videos of Red Rum. To put my name there is very special.”
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