Ayr best bet: Hortzadar poised to roll back the years after recent near misses
Ayr Racecourse
There’s a decent card to enjoy at Ayr on Monday afternoon, all rounded off by this 10-furlong handicap that promises to give some race-goers reason to celebrate as they wind their way home.
17:10 Ayr: Scottish Sun Ladies Night Handicap (1 mile 2 furlongs)
Connections of Liberty Coach have high hopes for their lightly-raced three-year-old after seeing him land three straight third places in his three maiden starts during the early spring.
The bookies appear to be in agreement as he emerges from a seven-week break to make his handicap debut, but with questions still to be answered, it’s hard to get excited about his value at such a price.
Running off the same mark and having followed a similar three-race path as the favourite, Lucykeys looks a much more appealing proposition, while Charlie Johnston’s Aviemore also merits consideration if ridden more conservatively than on his last effort over an inadequate one-mile trip at Pontefract a fortnight ago.
Anyone looking to have a cautious each-way flutter might find the price of top-weight Eeetee to their liking, if the six-year-old can rekindle the kind of form that earned two decent victories when under the wing of David O’Meara during the spring of 2023.
He has struggled since, but he is now well below his last winning mark, with Mark Winn’s three-pound claim only enhancing his chances of putting himself in the each-way mix here.
Outsider punt: Eeetee each-way in the 17:10 at Ayr
- Tip advised by The Profit King on Tipstrr
Our final nod, however, goes to one of the two nine-year-olds in the 11-runner field, with Hortzadar expected to build on a couple of recent near misses.
This nine-time winner has enjoyed his occasional visits to Ayr’s track, having recorded figures of 2412, with those last two coming back-to-back over a mile here last September.
A further win on Newcastle’s all-weather track rounded off a decent 2023 campaign, and after failing to scale those heights so far this term, his connections have decided to try him over longer trips now that the ground is improving.
That decision has been rewarded with a couple of close-up runner-up finishes, both of them seeing him beaten by just half a length in seven-runner 0-75 handicaps on similar ground to that expected at Ayr.
David O'Meara's gelding finished particularly strongly when last seen at Ripon 25 days ago, and was never nearer to Up The Jazz than at the line.
He has been raised two pounds for those recent efforts, and while he also loses that day’s three-pound claimer, David Nolan is a more than able replacement to steer Hortzadar towards a 10th career win that should come sooner rather than later.
Suggested best bet: Hortzadar each-way in the 17:10 at Ayr
- Tip advised by HorsesTips on Tipstrr
