15:20 Ayr

Saturday 4 November 2017

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

Tennent's Cup Scottish Champion Hurdle Trial Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:22 | Winning time: 4m 11.65s

Mount Mews²¹¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: J M Jefferson| OR: 145| BF| D

10/11

Makes his handicap debut after an excellent novice season which saw him record three wins and running at excellent race in a Grade 1 at Aintree on his final start. Still looked inexperienced there (didn't get run of race); should make his mark here.

Form: 112112-

Mirsaale²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 139| D

9/1

Useful sort on the Flat who has taken well to hurdles showing some smart form although has been a little up-and-down at times. Has won two of his last three hurdles starts though and now off a career high mark in this sphere.

Form: 594-131

Don Bersy²²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: James Davies| T: T Symonds| OR: 133| BF| D

7/1

A faller on his GB debut he soon made up for that mishap with three consecutive victories in juvenile events. Rounded of an excellent season with a good third in handicap debut although his good season has put him on a tough enough mark here.

Form: 2F1113-

Apterix¹⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-10| J: Mr Kaine Wood⁽⁵⁾| T: B Ellison| OR: 129| D

12/1

Had produced some useful hurdles form before being switched to chasing but has reverted to hurdles of late. Looked as though he's needed his two runs so far this year but on his past form he'll find this tough going.

Form: U316-03

Gassin Golf²³⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: W T Kennedy| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 127| D

8/1

Last win came back in 2015 (only raced six time since then) with a fall early last year appearing to unnerve him next time out (jumped poorly). Handicapper has let him in lightly here (last win off 135) if he's over that experience but maybe best watched.

Form: 5P/25F0-

Sleepy Haven¹⁹²

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Sean Quinlan| T: J Candlish| OR: 126| D

20/1

Took advantage of a reduced mark when winning just under a year ago at Leicester. Shaped well enough after that on a few occasions and ran better than the final position suggests last time; looks summed up by his mark though.

Form: 294424-

Martila^h²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-0| J: Craig Nichol| T: Miss P Robson| OR: 119| BF

7/1

Ran a career best in this race last year making the winner fight all the way and nit being beaten far. Not seen after that though until recently when running well in a lesser grade back at Kelso; interesting on that former run.

Form: 11242-2

Alphabetical Order²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-0| J: Thomas Greatrex⁽⁷⁾| T: R M Smith| OR: 115| D

28/1

Fairly useful on the Flat (last win off 76) for his previous yard and has won over hurdles in the past. Returned to hurdles for this yard recently but ran well below his previous form and has a tough task from out of the handicap here.

Form: 41311/3

Forecasts

Mount Mews (10/11), Martila (7/1), Don Bersy (7/1), Gassin Golf (8/1), Mirsaale (9/1), Apterix (12/1), Sleepy Haven (20/1), Alphabetical Order (28/1)

A good renewal of this race in which Martila ran a career best last year and she looks to have been primed for another decent run this year after a recent Kelso outing. She does face a couple of decent novices’ though in Mount Mews and DON BERSY both of whom showed progressive form last year. The former may well be on the way to bigger and better things and a mark of 145 gives him a fairly stiff test and the latter is preferred of a mark of 133, his form looked most progressive last year. MIrsaale deserves to take his chance here and looks more consistent of late and with a recent Flat run under his belt has fitness on his side.