Varian bids for third Rothesay Stakes win with Angel Power

Racing’s big guns descend on Ayr today with the eightrace card headlined by the £54,500 Tennent’s Lager British Stallion Studs EBF Rothesay Stakes, Listed Race.

Leading trainers including Andrew Balding, Roger Varian, Willie Haggas and Jessica Harrington have runners in the 1m 2f fillies’ race which was first introduced in 2016.

Varian has won the Rothesay Stakes with Nezwaah in 2017 and Shenanigans in 2019 and this time round saddles Angel Power a mare who won a Group 2 contest in Rome in November 2020.

David Egan takes the mount on the five year-old who was a close up third in a Listed race at Nottingham last time out.

Achelois makes the 800-mile round trip from Balding’s Kingsclere yard and PJ Mcdonald rides this filly who finished second in a decent handicap at Epsom last time out.

Harrington sends The Blue Brilliant over from Ireland and this filly was second in a Group 3 at Deauville last year. Haggas, who is operating at a 50 per cent strike-rate at Ayr over the last five years, is represented by My Astra who has won two of her four outings to date.

The main supporting race is the Jura Sunset EBF Stallions Restricted Maiden Stakes for two year olds over five furlongs and Charlie and Mark Johnston run the well bred Green Zabeel in this with Jason Hart riding.

The Glenfiddich Handicap at 4.25pm has a five runner field but they are all previous winners including Red Warning who won on this card last year. Trainer Michael Dods has engaged Connor Beasley to ride.

John Gosden has won Yarmouth's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes in two of the last three years with youngsters who went on to run in Pattern company and this year his chosen representative is Faisal Road.

However, his pedigree suggests he will come into his own over further, so preference is for Charlie Appleby's Changing Colours. By Dubawi, his dam Blossomtime was quick enough to win over six furlongs at two and he looks a very likely type on paper.

Chocca Mocha can step up on her previous form in Southwell's Visit signsolutions.org For Event Signage Mares' Maiden Hurdle, while Galahad Threepwood will take all the beating in the Join Racing TV Now William Eborall Maiden Hurdle at Warwick.