MICK FITZGERALD staged a five star riding performance at Ayr yesterday to win the Hamilton Campbell ILPH Novices' Chase on long distance raider Merlin's Lad.

And for good measure, Fitzgerald followed up half an hour later on Dear Do to complete a near 15 to 1 double - his first winners at the Scottish track.

The Irishman looked destined for second place at best on Merlin's Lad behind Savoy in the four runner novice chase after his mount overjumped the fourth last fence.

But Fitzgerald allowed his amount plenty of time to recover from that mishap before renewing, battle from the penultimate fence.

And, after snatching a narrow lead on the run in, Merlin's Lad just held off the renewed effort of 2 to 1 on favourite Savoy to score by a neck.

Delighted trainer John Edwards said: "All credit to Mick - he gave the horse time to get his confidence back. It was a vintage effort on his part to get back up and win the race.

"I'd written Merlin's Lad's off to be honest after the fourth last, but then saw him really motoring going to the final fence and started to get excited again. Mick said he would have hacked up otherwise.

Edwards, recording only his seventh winner of the campaign, - "we're very short of horses this time" - believes Merlin's Lad will become "a nice long distance handicapper next season."

Dear Do was one of four horses that rose for the last jump in unison in the Royal Highland Fusiliers Cup Handicap Chase but once again Fitzgerald would not be denied.

He drove the Nicky Henderson trained nine year old ahead half way up the run in to score by three quarters of a length from One For The Pot, with only one and a half lengths covering the quartet as they flashed past the winning post.

Fitzgerald is used to riding doubles, but one man who had never previously experienced the feeling was Hawick based Alistair Whillans, who struck with his only two runners on the card, Major Bell and Miss Greenyards.