John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Charlie Mason hard to beat for top all-weather yard
Tony Carroll enjoyed another personal-best year in 2025, sending out 128 winners and breaking the million-pound barrier in prize money for the first time. Those winners were split 72-56 between the all-weather and turf, and in fact no trainer had more all-weather winners than Carroll during the year.
This is very much the stable’s time of year, therefore, with Carroll having the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag, and he picked up a good prize at Chelmsford in December with Justcallmepete winning more than £20,000 for landing the Timeform Sprint Series Final in a tight finish. Close behind in fifth was stablemate Charlie Mason who should be hard to beat dropping back in grade for an apprentice handicap over the same course and distance (12:42).
Hardly out of the frame in a busy campaign last year which brought him three wins, including an apprentice race at the St Leger meeting, Charlie Mason was a good second in a qualifier for the Timeform Sprint Series and then earned the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag in the Final. He would have finished closer still had he been granted a clearer run a furlong out, and he can gain some compensation here in this lower grade.
Well-bred Wilstar worth another chance
As a half-brother to top-class chasers Douvan and Jonbon, expectations for the Olly Murphy-trained Wilstar have been understandably high. Winning his second start in bumpers last spring at Perth (from Sleedagh, who runs in the previous race on the card) did nothing to dampen those hopes, so Wilstar’s first run over hurdles came as a disappointment.
That was at Newbury in November when he clearly wasn’t right, trailing home last of the eight finishers in what has proved a strong maiden hurdle. Winner Captain Hugo has won again since, and the third and fourth have also gone on to win races. This similar event at Ayr (13:00) should prove an easier task for Wilstar, though French import Locquirec sets a fair standard as he was a close-up third at Auteuil on his last start.
Wilstar has undergone a breathing operation since Newbury and is also fitted with a tongue strap for the first time so it’s not hard to see him leaving his debut effort over hurdles a long way behind here for his ‘Hot Trainer’ and Sean Bowen.
Shorter trip to suit free-going Al Rufaa
Al Rufaa has just turned nine but Daniel & Claire Kubler’s veteran is on a very attractive mark these days and he can end a frustrating losing sequence in Wolverhampton’s handicap over an extended mile (19:00).
His last win came over the same course and distance back in late-2023 but he has been placed numerous times since, including when twice finishing runner-up over a slightly longer trip at Wolverhampton in the autumn, beaten just a head on the first occasion. The handicapper has cut him some slack, however, and he’s now racing from 1 lb lower than when suffering that narrow defeat.
Al Rufaa tends to race freely, and that was especially the case last time when he tore off in front at Kempton over eleven furlongs but was headed over a furlong out before finishing fifth behind Wyld Bill. The drop back in trip should ensure that Al Rufaa’s enthusiasm is channelled more effectively here and, being 3 lb clear in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings, he’s capable of a bold bid with Callum Rodriguez taking over in the saddle for the first time.
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