Gworn can shine again at Ayr

● Smith’s horse chasing sixth win at west coast course

Ayr stages stages its fifth and final July meeting today – the Parkdean Resorts Raceday.

The eight-race card comes under orders at 1:30pm with the Racing UK RBF Novice Stakes over seven furlongs and five go to post, including Cosa Nostra from the Richard Fahey yard.

Tony Hamilton gets the ride on the horse which was second at the track over a furlong shorter three weeks ago.

The feature race is the Western House Handicap at 4pm over one mile two furlongs.

The race, with £14,500 in prize money has the makings of a really good contest, with Mike Smith’s Gworn going for his sixth course win.

He won’t have it all his own way, though, as both Keith Dalgleish’s Corton Lad and Euro Nightmare also look interesting.

Half an hour earlier, the Sandylands Caravan Park Handicap over a mile looks a perfect opportunity for Jim Goldie’s Strong Steps, the mount of Paddy Mathers, and the jockey booking of Paul Hanagan for Mike Smith’s Magistral also catches the eye.

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

The four-year-old gelding finished third in a six-furlong 0 Jim Goldie: Strong Steps has chance in mile handicap. handicap in which the Uplawmoor 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 seven-furlong handicap at 2:30pm.

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

That was his best performance since he was not beaten by far in a Goodwood handicap last August, when he was running off a 5lb 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 seven furlongs might be the way forward.

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 seven-furlong handicap.