Northern favourites to dominate raceday
Ayr stages the final meeting of 2018 at the track on Thursday week ( November 29) with Tennent’s Raceday.
I’ll give more details of likely runners next week, but there are some potentially interesting races with three Class 4 contests the main races on the card.
The first of these is a 2m 5f handicap hurdle and I expect most of the top northern stables will be represented.
Lucinda Russell has a great record in this type of race and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her run Ask The Tycoon in this. A bumper winner at the track, this five year- old was third over 2m 3f last week and a step up in trip may do the trick.
The 3 mile handicap chase could provide a perfect opportunity for Ian Duncan’s Imperial Prince, who was running a superb race at Ayr last Wednesday before falling heavily four from home. If he is none the worse for that mishap he could go close.
The third of the Class 4s is the Oliver McCann A Mighty Sporting Man Novice Chase over 2m 5f and this is the type of race Nicky Richards usually has a horse primed for.
Talking of Nicky it was good to see Simply Ned, one of my favourite horses, run a great race in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday where he finished runner up to Alan King’s Sceau Royal.
The 11- year- old won a couple of races at Ayr earlier in his career and has now earned almost £ 300,000 in prize- money.
We raced at Ayr last Wednesday on a cold blustery afternoon when 79 runners contested the eight races.
A very popular winner on the day was the Matt Sawersowned Trongate who was impressive in landing the 2m 4f handicap chase for trainer Iain Jardine and jockey Ross Chapman.
I feel there is more to come from this six- year- old and I’m sure his astute trainer will pick up some more decent prizes with him in the coming months.