Too Many Chiefs can lead the way

Unheralded North Yorkshire trainer Sharon Watt will have high hopes for Too Many Chiefs when he is sent into battle at Ayr in the Award Winning Weddings At Western House Hotel Handicap Hurdle today.

The six-year-old gelding was only beaten a length at Kelso a couple of weeks ago when staying on to finish a good second behind Buckled and still looks appealingly weighted for this extended three-mile handicap hurdle, even in spite of a 3lb rise. He is fancied to go one better on his return north of the border this afternoon and the slower ground at Ayr is unlikely to be a problem.

Ostilio looks one of the more interesting horses in action on a workaday card beneath the Newcastle floodlights.

It might be a little off-putting to see Simon Crisford’s youngster already running in a firsttime hood, but he is clearly a colt with plenty of boot.

There was not much wrong with his debut performance at Leicester last month. The son of New Approach pulled very hard for Andrea Atzeni, but he eventually grew in stature and ended up finishing a half-length second to Accessor in what was a strong sevenfurlong maiden. And with the fourth horse that day, the 6-4 favourite George Villiers, having since won a race, the form should continue to pay its way.

Illusional looks a worthy rival from the Mark Johnston operation, but Ostilio must surely take the beating in the 32Red.com Novice Stakes.

Rare Groove was a further length away from Accessor at Leicester and he later gets the opportunity to stick to his end of the bargain in a one-mile novice auction stakes.

Jedd O’keeffe’s two-yearold made an honourable fist of things from the front but lacked the zip of the first two home so now steps up to a mile. There are races to be won with him this winter.

Zaidiyn is perhaps better known as a hurdler these days, but he can nonetheless defy the burden of top weight in the Betway-sponsored handicap over two miles.

He arrives at Newcastle in good heart, having finished second in a staying handicap at Doncaster, and yet he is still allowed to run off the same mark of 80. Zaidiyn goes up in distance by nearly a quarter of a mile and that should do for him.

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 hattrick 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 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 it will be fascinating to see how she gets on in the Listed mares’ novice chase.