Davidson’s Bootlegger can expect a stiff challenge in feature race at Ayr
Ayr stages an eight-race jumps card today with more than 90 runners lining up.
The action gets under way at 1.15 pm with the Watch On Racing tv hurdle over two miles and 13 runners go to post in this with Alqamar, a winner on the Flat when owned by Godolphin, having only his second hurdle run having run second on his de but over obstacles at carlisle for trainer james Moffatt. Charlotte Jones takes the mount and he could be hard to beat.
The feature race is the Join Racing TV Now Handicap Chase over three miles at 2.20pm with eight runners.
Bootlegger represents the inform Tristan Davidson yard with Harry Reed riding and he comes to the race on the back of a runner up spot at Musselburgh last month. He won’t have it all his own way with williamof orange, trained by mark W al ford and rid den by theo gill a rd, a recent south well winner entering the equation as does Keith Dalgleish’s I’m To Blame.
The main support race is the Visit racingtv.com Handicap Hurdle over three miles and Manetti should go close in this with Brian Hughes riding for Nick Alexander. This horse was second in a similar contest on the Friday of the Coral Scottishgrand national festival and could go one better.
Another highly competitive race is the Bet At Racingtv.com Handicap chase over two miles four furlongs in which top trainer Nicky Richards has two runner sin Better Get along with Ryan Day in the plate and Blakerigg with Sean Quinlan riding. Both these horses are course winners as is Ardera Cross who won three times at the track in the early part of the year.
Atlingfield, Beaujardinecan continue to pros per in the wit he ford Barrier Trials At Ling field Park Novice Stakes. Roger Varian's colt must concede his winner's penalty to a clutch of unraced rivals with potential among an 11-strong field.
He was convincing on his successful debut last November, however, beating a previous winner into third and a useful stablemate into fifth.
Beau Jardine faces a significantly different task here, switching up a furlong on the Poly track after his initial victory on heavy ground at new market.
The extra yardage makes sense on pedigree, though, and it is not difficult to see Andrea Atzeni making full use of his mount' s race course experience to dominate the less seasoned opposition.
Tom Marquand is another hugely reassuring presence in the saddle, and he has fine prospects with Flying West in the read ho lliedoyle' s column On attheraces.com Handicap.
Flying west ran as if her return from a near six-month break was needed when a close sixth at Kempton three weeks ago. She can be expected to be much straighter here and ran with great consistency on a variety of surfaces last year - including a course-and-distance victory on debut - to suggest she could be well up to this task.