13:35 Ayr

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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

Award Winning Weddings At Western House Hotel Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:35 | Winning time: 6m 30.85s

Another Mattie^t¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr Kit Alexander⁽⁵⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 115| CD

6/1

Trip, track and ground all ideal, as he showed when winning here in March, found life a bit harder from new higher mark but quickly coming back down and now only 2lb higher than that win. Needs to have come on for recent effort but not discounted.

Form: P3316-P

Royal Salute²²⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 114

16/1

Nicely placed by Anthony Honeyball to win a couple of handicaps in January, but disappointing when made favourite next time and now needs to bounce back to form after an absence for new yard. Others preferred.

Form: 23113F-

Native Optimist³²

Age: 10| Weight: 11-8| J: Miss C Walton⁽³⁾| T: Mrs S Walton| OR: 111| D

9/1

Refound some form to forge clear at Hexham on latest start but handicapper has reacted with an 11lb rise, which looks harsh. Ground no problem but probably needs to improve again now, and this could be a tougher task.

Form: 410821

Chicoria²⁸³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: Thomas Dowson⁽⁵⁾| T: T Davidson| OR: 110

11/1

On a good mark on the best of his hurdles/chase form for Henry Daly but pulled up no trees in point-to-points last season. Looks on the downgrade and makes little appeal.

Form: P4P/537-

Too Many Chiefs¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Finian O'Toole⁽⁵⁾| T: Mrs S A Watt| OR: 105

4/1

Showed the benefit of his reappearance run in October with a much better effort at Hexham last time out, and closed well on the winner on the run-in. Up 3lb for that but handles this ground, and looks one of the more likely candidates.

Form: P410-82

Reivers Lodge^h,t¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 104

11/2

Had shown some form in novice hurdles, so win at Kelso last time not unexpected. Will improve, but this slower ground may not suit as well, so from new 9lb higher mark today, has questions to answer.

Form: P52321

Southsea Island^h²⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: Ross Chapman⁽⁵⁾| T: A B Hamilton| OR: 96

66/1

For appears to be on the slide alarmingly quickly and it's some time since he's shown anything. Makes no appeal here.

Form: 463F/90

Spoils Of War^p¹⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Blair Campbell⁽⁷⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 92| D

11/4

Better effort when not beaten far over 3m here last time out, but even the looked to be outpaced, so probably needs a good test at this trip. Handicapper has at least given him a chance so not totally ruled out.

Form: 6-13P24

Secret Approach⁵⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: A W Short⁽⁷⁾| T: N McKnight| OR: 89

15/2

Hard to find too many positives in recent form, well beaten off most starts and only his Sligo fourth in August gives much hope. Trip an unknown too and he's readily passed over.

Form: 096473

Forecasts

Spoils Of War (11/4), Too Many Chiefs (4/1), Reivers Lodge (11/2), Another Mattie (6/1), Secret Approach (15/2), Native Optimist (9/1), Chicoria (11/1), Royal Salute (16/1), Southsea Island (66/1)

Despite a poor run last time. it's hard to rule out Another Mattie bouncing back to form under ideal conditions, and he's likely to get his own way up front too. The others can't allow him too much rope or he could be away and gone. Reivers Lodge has an obvious chance of following up but with the ground likely to be testing, he does have a new question to answer. The advice is TOO MANY CHIEFS, definitely going the right way again this season and should be cherry-ripe fitness-wise now. Spoils Of War could plug on for a place.