13:35 Ayr

Saturday 4 November 2017

All12:2513:0013:3514:1014:4515:2015:50

Guinness Handicap Chase

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 5m 30.77s

Kayf Adventure³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: M G Nolan| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 138| D

11/4

Fairly useful over hurdles he bettered that form on his chase debut (rallied well after a mistake at the last) and moves into handicaps now. Will be suited by further this trip and further; open to improvement.

Form: 1/3132-1

Captain Redbeard²⁰³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Sam Coltherd⁽⁵⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 138| D

14/1

Took a while for the penny to drop over fences but showed some decent enough form once it did winning twice. Looks a little vulnerable off this sort of mark though especially with unexposed sorts in the field.

Form: 4311P2-

Cyrus Darius²³⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: B S Hughes| T: J M Jefferson| OR: 137| D

5/2

Chasing project quickly abandoned after jumping poorly when winning his only previous chase. Has won a Grade 2 hurdle and clearly has ability if jumping with more fluency on his return to the bigger obstacles.

Form: 111/419-

Pistol Park²³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 136| BF

10/1

Clearly better over fences than he was over hurdles and progressed well in this sphere last season winning on three occasions but all over a shorter trip than he faces today. Solid effort when last seen here over 2m but might just need this.

Form: 412212-

Bernardelli^v1¹⁹²

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Craig Nichol| T: N G Richards| OR: 135| CD

14/1

Hardly the most consistent despite being a C&D winner off a 3lb lower mark. Last two start at the beginning of the year were poor though (jumped badly) and comes here with plenty to prove.

Form: 3413PP-

De Vous A Moi²³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-6| J: W T Kennedy| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 132| D

20/1

Switched back from fences to hurdles when winning at Newcastle in February in novice company (getting weight). Found a return to handicaps in the same sphere too tough next time and faces a tougher test here on his return to fences.

Form: 1/69319-

No No Mac^t¹⁹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 11-6| J: D R Fox| T: I A Duncan| OR: 132| CD

22/1

Scored over C&D on his first start for this yard aided by soft ground and found the test too sharp on quicker ground over the same trip last time out. Now back from a break with ground to suit but still 2lb higher than last winning mark.

Form: 351373-

Arctic Gold³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Humphries⁽⁷⁾| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 130| BF| D

7/2

Capable hurdler who failed to see out the 3m trip on his chasing debit at Perth although he may have needed the run. Moves back in trip here for an in-form yard off a mark that looks fair (won off higher over hurdles).

Form: 2033-72

Martiloo^t⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: Miss P Robson| OR: 110| BF

14/1

Finally got off the mark over fences with a victory at Perth in August over 2m off a much lower mark. Ran well enough on her follow-up bid but did rather flatter to deceive in the finish having travelled strongly; runs from out the handicap here.

Form: P-23212

Forecasts

Cyrus Darius (5/2), Kayf Adventure (11/4), Arctic Gold (7/2), Pistol Park (10/1), Captain Redbeard (14/1), Bernardelli (14/1), Martiloo (14/1), De Vous A Moi (20/1), No No Mac (22/1)

Like many of the races on the card this looks competitive with some interesting contenders in the field. Cyrus Darius would have had the best form of these over hurdles and although he won his only chase outing it wasn’t a convincing performance but maybe there is better to come second time around. KAYF ADVENTURE wouldn’t have been as good as his main rival over hurdles but he jumped soundly for the most part on his debut rallying well to win and he deserves the vote in this. Pistol Park was progressive last year but may just need this with Arctic Gold lurking on a useful mark if he sees his race out better this time although this shorter trip should help. Captain Redbeard faces a tough task off this mark while No No Mac will have to have bottomless conditions to be effective over this trip.