Time for Story to make Ayr impact

Dalgleish runner tipped to star in Western Meeting opening day feature

Keith Dalgleish is normally a good man to follow at Ayr’s Western Meeting – which kicks off today – and he can take the opening-day feature, the William Hill Doonside Cup Stakes, with WHAT’S THE STORY.

The five-year-old has found plenty of improvement this season – and while he has reserved his best for York to date, winning valuable handicaps at both the Dante and Ebor meetings, there is no reason he cannot repeat that closer to home.

Fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup last season, he looked like he had maybe reached a peak after disappointing in the Cambridgeshire

But Dalgleish has worked his magic, and What’s The Story has improved a further 12lb this summer.

He looks well worth a crack at Listed level.

Roger Varian’s MONSIEUR NOIR looked marginally unlucky last time out and can atone for that in the Cala Homes Handicap.

An odds-on winner of his penultimate outing at Salisbury, he was running off a mark of 84 at Newmarket and met trouble in running before staying on into fourth.

The step back up to seven furlongs looks logical on that showing, and he should go close. EYNHALLOW has suggested there are still races to be won with him in his two runs to date this season.

A really progressive type for Roger Charlton at three, he was bought by Godolphin to go to Dubai.

He ran well twice there before having just the one run at Royal Ascot last summer, and he was then not seen again until August when fourth at Newmarket.

In a competitive race at York last time out, he was sixth of 16, but this represents a pretty big drop in class for the Dan Hague - Betting On The Rails Handicap at Yarmouth - and he is stepping up in trip.

Irish raider DRAGONS CALL can make the journey to Pontefract worthwhile in the Elkington Stud Supports Racing To School EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap.