Ayr ‘hopeful’, but will inspect

WITH WINTRY showers forecast and eight millimetres of snow forecast, Ayr will have to pass a precautionary 7.30am inspection, although the track was perfectly raceable yesterday morning.

Clerk of the course Emma Marley said: “I’m still hopeful we will beat the weather but we had better take a look in the morning.

“We are soft, heavy in places at the moment but it will just depend what we get overnight.”

AP McCoy, who was in double form at Catterick yesterday, comes up for six rides and can scoop another quickfire double when he rides the recent JP McManus purchase and bumper winner Stonebrook in the opening two mile maiden hurdle and then Gordon Elliott’s Layla Joan, a comfortable course and distance winner a couple of weeks ago.

Ryan Mania also bagged a double at Catterick yesterday and he can land the feature £12,000 two mile and four handicap chase on the Sue Smith-trained Gansey, although the Nicky Richards-trained And The Man will relish the testing conditions and is sure to run a big race.

And The Man has gone up 4lb in the weights for his last success but will still prove a danger and, with Brian Harding — who is riding better than ever — on board again, if there is any chinks in Gansey’s armour, And The Man could take advantage.

The concluding bumper is an interesting race with McCoy riding the well- related newcomer The Unsub while Jason Maguire partners Uppertown Cave, who changed hands for £60,000 after winning an Irish point-topoint .

He has since won his first bumper here at the New Year meeting.

Kinross trainer Lucinda Russell runs Starplex, who battled gamely to get up by a nose on his debut at Newcastle.

Getty Images Ryan Mania.