15:35 Ayr

Thursday 20 September 2018

All13:3014:0014:3015:0515:3516:1016:4517:20

William Hill Doonside Cup Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 15:37 | Winning time: 2m 13.95s

(7)

Air Pilot¹¹⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 9-10| J: Harry Bentley| T: R M Beckett| OR: 114| D

8/1

Off the track since May, presumably with a soft-ground autumn campaign mapped out; recorded early season heavy ground French Group 2 and Group 3 wins at Saint-Cloud and Longchamp; stablemate of Dolphin Vista.

Form: 82-1175

(11)

Dolphin Vista²⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: D Tudhope| T: R M Beckett| OR: 101| D

14/1

50/1 winner of the Cambridgeshire last September (1m1f, good to soft), and had a spin over hurdles in January before finishing last of 20 in the Lincoln in March; much better latest (stable debut), so that provides hope; stablemate of Air Pilot.

Form: 9615-02

(6)

Dubai Horizon¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: H Crouch| T: S bin Suroor| OR: 107| CD

9/4

Back on song, and arrives seeking a hat-trick of 1m2f victories following his C&D win (good), and his more recent Sandown gains (good to soft); trainer has targeted this race in recent years, so almost certain to prove ultra-competitive.

Form: 604511

(8)

Gabrial⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 9-3| J: T Hamilton| T: R A Fahey| OR: 107| D

25/1

Snapped a lengthy win-less sequence when edging out Dolphin Vista in a barging match at Epsom last month (1m2f, soft); finished fifth over 1m4f+ (Listed) at Chester on Saturday, and turned out quickly on identical terms with his Epsom foe.

Form: 203615

(2)

Morando⁷⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-3| J: David Probert| T: A M Balding| OR: 110| C

3/1

Useful 3yo for Roger Varian and also did well in 2017, winning the Listed Midsummer Stakes at Windsor in July (1m, good to soft); has failed to kick on in competitive 1m2f contests for his new trainer this season; ground will suit.

Form: 432-305

(10)

Aspetar⁹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-1| J: K Shoemark| T: H & R Charlton| OR: 102| D

12/1

Made the perfect start to his career, winning a 1m2f Windsor maiden in April, then proved his ability at Listed level by taking the 1m3f Cocked Hat Stakes (Goodwood). Absent since his last placed finish (eighth) in a French Group 2 in June.

Form: 118

(4)

Ayutthaya³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: K Stott| T: K A Ryan| OR: 94| BF

15/2

Fully effective on deep ground and boasts a progressive overall profile (7f-1m1f); beaten a nose in a 1m1f Class 3 handicap at Hamilton latest, but this race represents a marked step up in grade and trip; tough task on today's terms.

Form: 21-4122

(3)

Escalator²⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: S Donohoe| T: C Fellowes| OR: 91| D

11/2

Continued on an upwardly mobile path when running out a commanding 3½L winner of a Class 2 1m2f Goodwood handicap latest (soft); further improvement expected over this trip and certainly worthy of his place in the line-up.

Form: 2-51191

(5)

Glasses Up¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-12| J: P Mathers| T: R M Smith| OR: 86| CD

50/1

His overall C&D record (3-4) is handy, but those wins have all come in Class 4 and 5 handicaps; different ground conditions today and unrealistic to expect him to be competitive in a Listed contest.

Form: 411742

(1)

Polly Glide³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: G Lee| T: L Smyth| OR: 82

150/1

Made all to win unchallenged in a Class 4 1m handicap at Hamilton in June, but she's unproven stamina wise over 1m2f, and well out of her depth in this company; couldn't be entertained.

Form: 44-2710

(9)

Narella^h1⁴⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 8-7| J: David Egan| T: R Varian| OR: 98

28/1

Dual 7f juvenile winner in Germany (including in a Group 3) for previous trainer Markus King; not competitive in a couple of Listed races (1m) for Roger Varian in 2018; looks risky over this trip on soft ground with the hood now applied.

Form: 117-80

Forecasts

Dubai Horizon (9/4), Morando (3/1), Escalator (11/2), Ayutthaya (15/2), Air Pilot (8/1), Aspetar (12/1), Dolphin Vista (14/1), Gabrial (25/1), Narella (28/1), Glasses Up (50/1), Polly Glide (150/1)

Air Pilot sets the benchmark on the basis of his heavy ground French Group 2 and Group 3 wins, but in truth the 2018 Doonside Cup looks to be a wide open affair. Saeed Bin Suroor probably had this race in the back of his mind when sending Dubai Horizon here in June, and kept ticking over since, he is likely to prove ultra-competitive. Aspetar is lightly raced and open to improvement, but it's a slight worry that he has been off the track since a disappointing run in June, so a chance is taken on ESCALATOR. This progressive handicapper tackles Listed company for the first-time, but is bang in-form, relishes soft ground, and looks to be fairly unexposed at 1m2f.