TRAINER Jim Goldie was fined #700 by the Ayr stewards yesterday under the Jockey Club's non-triers rule. The punishment was imposed after Northern Motto was never put in the race by jockey Brian Storey when finishing eleventh behind French Holly in the Eagle Taverns Novices Hurdle.
Northern Motto, beaten more than 44 lengths, also was banned from running for 30 days, while Storey was given a five-day suspension. How- ever, French Holly, a son of Derby winner Sir Ivor, was an impressive winner.
Celtic Giant brought a welcome change of fortune to Len Lungo and Richard Gilbert in the MacRoberts Novices Chase. The same trainer-owner combination were devastated 24 hours earlier at the same venue when their promising chaser, Magpie Melody, dropped dead having suffered a massive internal haemorrhage.
''Maybe there is some justice after all,'' said Lungo. ''Magpie Melody was a useful horse and a possible Scottish Grand National winner one day, but maybe we have a replacement in Celtic Giant if the ground was soft enough.''
Elgin owner Lesley Joughin made the long journey to see Ardronan in action, and it was not in vain as the gelding recorded a 13-length success in the Craig Brown Novices Hurdle.
Berwickshire permit-holder James Adam was on the mark with Monnaie Forte in the Sunday Mail Chase. Brendan Powell, making his first appearance at Ayr since winning the 1989 Scottish National on Roll-A-Joint, brought the Gordon raider home with by five lengths.
The 11-2 winner came as a surprise to Adam who admitted: ''I was very concerned he would need the race as we haven't been able to use the grass gallops this autumn due to firm ground, and he only did his first piece of work on Wednesday.''
The rains came just in time for Solsgirth, who opened the seasonal account of his trainer, Jim Barclay, in the Joan Mackay Novices Chase.
Meanwhile, Mr Mulligan was the main attraction at Ayr on Saturday, and the Gold Cup winner didn't disappoint when landing the Sean Graham Chase.
Sent off at the prohibitive odds of 1-6, he remains around a 10-1 chance to retain his crown at Cheltenham in March.
His trainer Noel Chance paid tribute to the ground conditions at Ayr which influenced his decision to send the gelding up from Lambourn.
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