Birch Vale back for raid on Ayr

McCain’s charge looks well placed to build on victory at Hexham

Donald McCain’s BIRCH VALE signed off in fine, winning form in May and is on a decent mark to strike again on her return in the Ayr Racecourse Gift Vouchers Available Now Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

The six-year-old followed up a solid winning performance at Sedgefield in March with a near miss at Perth in April where she chased home Floral Bouquet to lose by just a neck.

McCain found a slot in a Hexham novice hurdle just two weeks later and, despite carrying top weight, Birch Vale made all to secure a comfortable win.

Brian Hughes is back in the saddle and there seems little reason to doubt that Birch Vale will make a return to the winner’s enclosure.

PART EXCHANGE has had just a handful of outings to date but can double her winning tally in the 32Red Handicap at Kempton.

A six-length winner on her debut last September, Hugo Palmer then tried her in a fillies’ handicap at Lingfield in the November and Part Exchange’s run was really too bad to be true.

Sent off an odds-on favourite, she was in trouble some way out and trailed home over 12 lengths adrift.

She was then not sighted again until July, but showed up well that day at Wolverhampton, although she has again been off the track since and is perhaps not the easiest filly to train.

However, it speaks volumes that connections are persisting and this step up to a mile and a half looks well within her compass.

MERLIN can build on a promising return in the 32Red.com Handicap.

He won three times for Michael Bell last year, but has been limited to just one outing this term, finishing down the field in a competitive heat at Ripon in September.

Bell has not hurried him back into action and given he lines up off a reduced mark of 92, Merlin merits close inspection.

SELECTIONS

AYR: 12.05 Ask The Tycoon, 12.35 Highland Hunter, 1.10 Lord Springfield, 1.40 Las Tunas, 2.15 Birch Vale, 2.45 Henry’s Joy, 3.20 Carrigdhoun, 3.50 Arion Sky.

KEMPTON: 4.30 Rightway, 5.00 Lady Adelaide, 5.30 Arctic Ocean, 6.00 Haze, 6.30 Fume, 7.00 Merlin, 7.30 PART EXCHANGE (NAP), 8.00 Rocksette.

DOUBLE: Part Exchange and Birch Vale.