12:30 Ayr

Wednesday 15 November 2017

All12:3013:0013:3514:1014:4015:1015:45

Perfect Christmas Gifts At Ayr Racecourse Handicap Chase

Off time: 12:30 | Winning time: 6m 46.30s

Thedrinkymeister^v²⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| OR: 120| D

7/1

Plenty of ability, weak finishes seemed to be holding him back until coming good at Wetherby in February (made most). Ran to that level on only other start since and with yard going well, could continue where he left off last year.

Form: 21/PP14-

Rock Of Leon^p¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Dowson⁽⁵⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 120| D

80/1

Found his level with a couple of wins in minor company (for other yards) but a tale of woe recently, with four non-completions. Wants quicker ground than he'll get here and looks an unlikely winner.

Form: 11UUP-P

Blue Kascade⁷^{(ex 7)}

Age: 10| Weight: 11-7| J: Rachel McDonald⁽⁷⁾| T: A M Thomson| OR: 108| C| D

4/1

Inconsistent but good on his day, and put a series of poor efforts behind him with victory at Musselburgh last time. However, has often gone well fresh and not followed that up, so no good thing to follow up under the penalty here.

Form: 76PP-P1

Acdc^h¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: B S Hughes| T: C Grant| OR: 112

7/2

A winner over shorter at Hexham in March but seems to stay this trip, and didn't do at all badly on reappearance run at Kelso last month. Still unexposed and possibly more to come, so not ruled out here.

Form: P2615-2

Buffalo Ballet¹⁶

Age: 11| Weight: 11-2| J: Grant Cockburn⁽³⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 110

5/1

Into the veteran stage now but retains plenty of enthusiasm for the job, and ran an improving Socksy to 1½L here on reappearance last month. The sticking point is the trip, which he's never won at, and on that, is passed over.

Form: 4362U-2

Nakadam^p,t¹¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: C O'Farrell| T: R M Smith| OR: 108

4/1

Something of a victim of his own consistency, as handicapper refuses to budge as he keeps running well without winning. Nothing wrong with recent second to the useful Harry Hunt but places the likely scenario again.

Form: 82324-2

Presented¹⁰

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: Ross Chapman⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss L Harrison| OR: 103| CD

13/2

Often runs well but hard to win with, as a record of six wins from 65 starts shows, but in good form at present and with trip and ground ideal once again, may well reward each-way support.

Form: 422P23

Finaghy Ayr^p²²⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-8| J: D R Fox| T: I A Duncan| OR: 102| CD

16/1

Can go well fresh, as he demonstrated when winning at Carlisle last February after 15 months off. Went right off the boil last spring but break may have done him good, so with trip and ground fine, isn't discounted.

Form: 31/12FP-

Alfred Oats^t³⁰³

Age: 13| Weight: 10-0| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: R Goldie| OR: 82

28/1

Long in the tooth now but still performs with great credit, and was in the frame here in his last couple of starts last winter. Not seen since though, and likely to need this after an absence.

Form: 2256/22-

Forecasts

Acdc (7/2), Nakadam (4/1), Blue Kascade (4/1), Buffalo Ballet (5/1), Presented (13/2), Thedrinkymeister (7/1), Finaghy Ayr (16/1), Alfred Oats (28/1), Rock Of Leon (80/1)

A tricky card kicks off with a wide open handicap, with any number holding a chance. Blue Kascade and Presented will both ensure there's no hanging around here, and that might suit THE DRINKYMEISTER, who looked a rejuvenated horse at the end of last year and with Kim Bailey's horses in decent form, gets the vote here. Nakadam looks a moral for the frame, he keeps finding something too good but will be brought through late and should be taking a prize of some sort home. Acdc makes most appeal of the rest.