No evidence to oppose Too Many Chiefs

Tips: Sharon Watt’s gelding will handle weights rise for near miss at Kelso

Unheralded North Yorkshire trainer Sharon Watt will have high hopes for TOO MANY CHIEFS when the staying hurdler is sent into battle at Ayr.

The six-year-old gelding was only beaten a length at Kelso and still looks appealingly weighted for this extended three-mile handicap hurdle, even in spite of a 3lb rise.

Sam England’s NINEPOINTSIXTHREE showed enough on the last outing at Ayr last month to suggest a win is not far away.

The seven-year-old was held up by jockey Jonathan England before being shaken up two from home.

A mistake at the last scuppered any chance of challenging winner Vengeur De Guye but Ninepointsixthree stayed on well on the run-in to finish three lengths back in third.

That outing should prove to be a learning experience and with the ground expected to be similar again the England’s charge should be able to produce a real challenge over the two mile four furlong Christmas Parties At Western House Hotel Chase.

LADY BUTTONS has what it takes to win a significant prize on her chasing debut at Bangor.

Trainer Phil Kirby simply adores this seven-year-old mare, and it is easy to understand why.

She claimed a hat-trick in handicaps last season, but is certainly eminently capable of winning a Listed race against her own sex.

Indeed, Lady Buttons very nearly did so on Charlie Hall day at Wetherby when she looked all over odds-on favourite La Bague Au Roi in the olbg.com Mares’ Hurdle.

But as try as she might, Kirby’s inmate was eventually worn down by an inspired Richard Johnson, who got the jolly up by two lengths.

That was still a terrific effort, though, and served notice that she is in a seriously happy place this autumn.

Kirby has always considered Lady Buttons to possess the size and scope for fences so it will be fascinating to see how she gets on in the Listed Yorton Stallions Mares’ Novices’ Chase. SELECTIONS:

AYR: 12.30 Acdc, 1.00 Quick Pick, 1.35 Too Many Chiefs, 2.10 Conquer Gold ,2.40 Nine point six three ,3.10 Catamaran Du Seuil, 3.45 Forewarning.

BANGOR: 12.40 Truckers Highway, 1.10 LADY BUTTONS (NAP), 1.45 Actinpieces, 2.20 Demon D’Aunou, 2.50 Leoncavallo, 3.20 Pageburg, 3.55 Benechenko.

DOUBLE: Too Many Chiefs and Lady Buttons