Andrew Asquith has two more bets at Ayr and Southwell in his latest Sunday View column.
Sunday View: Sunday July 5
2pts win Altareq in the 15:15 Ayr at 2/1 (bet365)
1pt win Kylian in the 16:15 Southwell at 9/4 (bet365)
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It’s a rather quiet Sunday on the horse racing front, though there is indeed a big race at Silverstone and England are playing in the early hours of Monday morning following the hope of a rescheduled time on Friday - Monday will be a long day!
I do have a strong fancy at Ayr, though, and it comes in the shape of the Jim Goldie-trained ALTAREQ, who has shaped like a winner-in-waiting in for the yard so far.
He comes from a smart family and improved with each run for John & Thady Gosden last season, but he has taken his form to new heights in handicaps for current connections, shaping well in much stronger races than this.
His one sole disappointment came when beating only one rival home in a competitive handicap at York, but that was too bad to be true, and he duly got back on the up when again placed at Carlisle 11 days ago.
The downfall that day was the drop back in trip, but he also wasn’t made enough use of, dropped out and still last of all at the two furlong pole, before finishing with a real flourish on his own down the centre of the track to take third place.
He finished more or less on the bridle, having plenty of running left at the finish, and his closing three-furlong sectional was eye-catching, also. Altareq was the only runner in the field to dip under 37 seconds, more than half a second faster than the winner over the same distance.
There has been more than enough encouragement from Altareq so far this season to suggest he’s up to winning races and he looks very well handicapped having not been raised in the weights for his latest run which came over an inadequate trip.
The return to a mile and a quarter will be very much in his favour and this is the weakest race he’s contested. He represents a trainer who knows the time of day and this looks an excellent bit of placing.
Another horse who is very tempting now contesting a lesser handicap is KYLIAN, who also caught the eye when better than the result at Newcastle last time.
The form book will show his finished eighth of 14 runners, but that doesn’t tell the full story, and it’s well worth watching the race back.
Kylian was on the wrong side of the track for one, but he travelled like a horse who is right back at the top of his game with blinkers reapplied (retained), still on the bridle at the back of the field before having to switch twice for a run.
He continued to make good progress on the far-side rail in the final furlong and he crossed the line like a horse who had plenty left in the tank. Kylian didn’t shape badly on his first start for Robert Cowell over this course and distance earlier this year and he’s beginning to look very well handicapped.
Indeed, he’s now 8lb lower than when starting the year and, given he was a Listed winner in Germany last summer, he’s potentially thrown in. Jamie Spencer on board for the first time is another big plus given how he handles such horses and I think he’ll just prove too classy for these.
Preview post at 16:45 BST on 04/07/2026
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