Insurplus should have enough to win at Ayr today

– Insurplus played his part in last week’s Jim Goldie benefit and can savour his own moment in the sunshine back at Ayr today.

The four-year-old gelding finished third in a 1200m handicap in which his trainer saddled the first four home.

Having previously struggled this year, that was a marked improvement from Insurplus.

As such, he is expected to kick on in division two of the 1400m handicap on the eight-race card.

The son of Bushranger finished off his last race with promise and only went down by 1.50 lengths to stablemate Cheeni.

That was his best performance since he was not beaten far in a Goodwood handicap last August, when he was running off a 2.5kg higher mark.

He might still be a maiden after 12 races, but Insurplus is certainly capable of winning a race like this.

The way he stayed on behind Cheeni would also suggest that running him back over 1400m might be the way forward.

It is a Monday, so that means Windsor – with Captain Felix a worthy ally in the Royal Oak Paley Street Handicap.

James Eustace’s five-year-old is likely to revert to hurdling later in the year, but there was much to like about the manner in which he plugged on for third place over this course and distance three weeks ago.

Captain Felix perhaps never looked like laying a glove on the winner, Russian Reward, but he races off the same mark and could be up to winning a small affair like this – especially as it is over a slightly longer trip.

It will be interesting to see how Easy Code gets on at Wolverhampton’s evening meeting.

The four-year-old gelding was heavily backed on the Lingfield turf a week and a half ago but he failed to deliver in quite demanding conditions.

Soft ground probably counted against him that day and he is better than that.

William Haggas does not train many 65-rated horses like this and must surely fancy his chances of eking out just enough improvement from the gelded son of Bahamian Bounty.

Any market move should be seized upon ahead of the 1400m handicap.

Day one of the Galway Festival begins in earnest, with Willie Mullins expected to win the feature race of the day.

Lagostovegas won really nicely at Killarney a week and a half ago and would appear to fit the bill for the Connacht Hotel Handicap.

The five-year-old mare did not need to hit top gear on her first Flat start for Mullins, having previously been in the care of Harry Kelly, when she readily accounted for Shinghari in a 3400m handicap.

Lagostovegas has been thumped by the assessor, but she is clearly still progressing and this looks the right race for her. – Press Association