Russell eyes Grand start at Ayr

● JP Mcmanus-owned runner is one to look out for in opening maiden hurdle

Ayr hosts a six-race card today, the opening afternoon of a two-day meeting.

Ian Duncan, who trains just six miles from the track at Coylton, saddles Biennial, fit from a run in a bumper at Ayr on 2 January, in the opening contest the Racing UK Maiden Hurdle over two miles.

Lucinda Russell also has an interesting runner in this with Grand Morning carrying the colours of JP Mcmanus, with Derek Fox riding.

Miss Tiggy is the pick in the Racing UK Jump To It Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

She could well turn out to be better than her current perch of 103, having recovered from a broken hind leg to win on her return at this track in November. While she fell short last time out when third at Newcastle, she was keeping on well and should make her presence felt once again.

The feature race is the Biggest Jumps Season On Racing UK Chase, a novices’ limited handicap, over two miles four furlongs and trainer Donald Mccain and jockey Brian Hughes team up on Hills Of Dubai returning to action after a ten-month lay-off.

The James Ewart stable is in great form and Sky Full Of Stars goes for a quickfire double in the totepool Betting at totesport.com Handicap Chase having won at the track 13 days ago. Henry Brooke takes the mount.

The action ends with a twoand-a-half mile handicap hurdle where Tomahawk Wood, winner of this race last year, runs for trainer Donald Whillans with his son Callum riding.

At Wolverhampton, Frontiersman can make his class tell in the Betway Live Casino Conditions Stakes.

The five-year-old doubtless has plenty of ability, as evidenced by his second place in last year’s Coronation Cup, but can be a bit wayward. That said, he battled away with some success at a decent level last term, placing a couple of times in Pattern company before he eventually got back on the winning trail in a Newmarket Listed heat last October.

First-time blinkers appeared to work the oracle, but they did not have quite the same impact on his final start of 2017, when sixth in the St Simon at Newbury. However, the ground was against him that day so it might be a bit harsh to take that at face value, although it is interesting Charlie Appleby is leaving off the headgear this time.

Stepping up to two miles is an unknown, but Adam Kirby will be alive to the idea of ekeing out his stamina and given the conditions of the race leave him upwards of 6lb well-in with his

0 Lucinda Russell: Chance. rivals, it will be disappointing if Frontiersman is not a notch or two above these.

Humbert recently returned from a long lay-off with victory in a Kempton maiden and should step up again on that in the sunbets.co.uk Handicap.

He had shaped with a fair amount of promise as a juvenile for Hugo Palmer, but something went amiss as he was then off the track for 15 months before winning an average event at Kempton by four-anda-half lengths to be awarded a starting mark of 83. Only time will tell if the handicapper has pitched Humbert in at the correct level, but you should not rule him out here.