South trainers plan an Ayr raid
Mount Mews looks the one to beat
It’s an early start at Ayr Racecourse on Saturday with the first race off at 12.25pm, but there is some brilliant racing in prospect which is well worth getting out your bed for.
Leading southern- based trainers including Dan Skelton, Venetia Williams, Phillip Hobbs, Kerry Lee, Nigel Twiston- Davies and Tom Symonds all hold entries and many horses with solid course form are also likely to be competing for the £ 100,000 in prize- money on offer.
The day’s richest race is the £ 30,000 Tennent’s Cup Scottish Champion Hurdle Trial Handicap Hurdle over the two mile trip and the top rated entry here is the Malcolm Jefferson trained Mount Mews whose last run saw him finish second in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree at the Grand National meeting last April.
If this talented six- year- old heads to Ayr at the weekend he will take some beating but he certainly won’t have it all his own way.
Keith Dalgleish’s Mirsaale finished in mid- pack in the Cesarewitch last month and has solid hurdle form while Don Bersy, trained by Tom Symonds, is an improving four- yearold who won the Victor Ludorum at Haydock in February.
Iain Jardine holds an entry with Golden Jeffrey whose owners the Tracys are from Largs and will be keen to run while Donald McCain’s Chti Balko also demands respect on Haydock form earlier in the year. A hot race then and I will side with Don Bersy if he goes to post.
Elsewhere on the card, one of my favourite horses, Duke Of Navan, could run in the Magners Handicap Chase over two miles. Winner of the Listed Scotty Brand Chase at the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival back in 2015, he has low mileage despite being nine years of age, runs well fresh and, with that aforementioned course form, could be a hard nut to crack.
Venetia Williams has a few entries including Willie Boy in the two mile four furlong Guinness Handicap. This six- year- old is well handicapped and lightly raced and could be the one to beat in a race that Nigel TwistonDavies could also run Arctic Gold while Malcolm Jefferson’s highly rated Cyrus Darius is also worth a look.
The Glenfiddich Handicap Hurdle is over three miles and Ian Duncan runs King Of Fashion, a horse that caught my eye last season winning a maiden hurdle here in January before coming second in a handicap hurdle at the Scottish National meeting over the same distance as Saturday’s race.
If stripping fit for his first run of the season, he should take all the beating.
I am also looking forward to the Whyte & Mackay Maiden National Hunt Flat Race that ends the card at 3.50pm and, with Lucinda Russell’s yard in such good form, Ask The Tycoon, running in his first race under rules after winning a point to point at Ballingarry in June, looks a likely type.
Gates open for our final Saturday meeting of the year at 11am. Come along and see some top racing as the National Hunt season steps up a gear.
For more information, to book tickets, go online at www. ayr- race course. co. uk or call 01292 264179.