'I did wonder if it was ever going to happen' - Joe Fanning powers to first Ayr Gold Cup success on Significantly

What a difference a week makes.

Just seven days ago, Joe Fanning was ruing defeat after losing by a short head in the Portland at Doncaster. Yet a return to a track the jockey knows like the back of his hand paved the way for redemption as Significantly powered to victory in the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup.

Despite landing more than 130 winners at the track and sitting as title leader in this year's Ayr jockeys' championship, it was a first success in Scotland's most valuable handicap for the 52-year-old rider. He has had his fair share of attempts, and claimed the race's consolation prize in 2008, but admitted at times he thought Gold Cup success may have been out of his grasp.

For a moment, it looked like this year would be another near-miss as he struggled for room heading into the final furlong. However, the gaps finally opened as he steered the five-year-old around runner-up Ramazan to land the £180,000 handicap by a neck.

"Did I wonder if it would ever happen? I did," said Fanning. "I never thought I was going to win this race and it's nice to finally do it. I've ridden a lot of winners at Ayr and I've won the Silver Cup before, but never this. 

"A furlong down I was a bit worried about getting out on him. He's got a lot of ability but I thought I was going to get dragged back out of the race. I always felt once I got the gap he would pick up and he got me out of trouble in the end.

"I've been here at most Ayr meetings for 30-odd years now and it's one of the biggest ones to win in Scotland, so it's great to tick it off."

Significantly is led in by Sam Brown after success in the Ayr Gold CupCredit: John Grossick

The win for Significantly also marked a return to the spotlight for trainer Julie Camacho, who continued her remarkable season having claimed her first Group 1 win with Shaquille this summer.

She was quick to heap praise on winning owner Niall O'Keeffe and daughter Sam Brown, who led Significantly up and is credited as the reason the winner joined their Norton yard from Karl Burke's five months ago.

"My daughter was mad keen on us getting him," she said. "She rides him every day, he's her baby, so she has to take a lot of the praise.

"We were hoping he could do this, but it's just about how you progress. He lost his form last year and that meant he had come down the handicap, and while Karl did so well with him, the change might just have rejuvenated him."

She added: "I was just saying to Joe after the race that we go a long way back. He rode a filly for my father Maurice and won in 1992. It makes us both feel very old!

"He thought he was unlucky not to win the Portland but he got there today, so that's wonderful. Significantly is tough and has done us proud, so he'll go home and go in the paddock and he'll tell us when he's ready to go again."

For Scotland, the wait goes on for another home-trained winner as the sole Scottish entry Gweedore held on for third under apprentice William Pyle. 

Trainer Katie Scott said: "It's fantastic. He jumped and travelled well, everything went great, I think he was just beaten by two better-handicapped horses at the end of the day.

"It's just brilliant to have a horse here in the Gold Cup. He's been an amazing horse for his owners, they're Scottish too, so to even have a runner is very special."

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