Cracking result at Ayr for Ewan Whillans and Craig Nichol

Cracking Rhapsody provided the Ewan Whillans stable with the third major success of his career when holding on grimly in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.

Already a dual winner of the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso, he finished a fine third in this race 12 months ago to Favour And Fortune but was 9lb higher this time.

Ooh Betty was the first to force the pace before Welsh Charger took over at the head of affairs, but all the while Kabral Du Mathan and Cracking Rhapsody were tracking the pace with Dysart Enos.

There were four in line jumping the last and then Ooh Betty began to stay on strongly again and as Cracking Rhapsody (10-1) just started to paddle, the line came just in time.

Craig Nichol got his mount home by a neck with a short head back to the fast-finishing Ooh Betty and Dysart Enos was fourth.

Dan Skelton’s Valgrand was an early faller while Willie Mullins’ four runners – Bunting, Batman Girac, Karafon and Ethical Diamond – were all unplaced.

Nichol was unshipped after the line, but there was no harm done as he told ITV Racing:  “He’s made a fool of me, he tripped and I fell off him!

“He’s a gem of a horse, he’s kept improving, he’s won two Morebattles, he went to Cheltenham after the Morebattle this year and then he’s come here, there’s not a bother on him – he’s tough as nails.

“If you could pay for a heart like him it would be priceless. You always want to win at Cheltenham and the Grand National, but the Scottish National is one I’d like to win and getting the Champion Hurdle is as good as that.”

Whillans said: “It’s a team effort, this horse is unbelievable, he almost lives in the paddock.

“I thought he was too high in the weights, but I said that after he won the Morebattle. But the way he won there he was going away.”