14:30 Ayr

Saturday 7 March 2020

All13:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:5017:20

Heverlee Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:31 | Winning time: 5m 53.9s

Theflickeringlight⁵³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Thomas Dowson| T: P A Kirby| OR: 119| BF

11/4

Much-improved when winning on h'cap debut at Newcastle five days before Christmas and readily followed up at Wetherby (2m3½f, soft; 11-8f) on Boxing Day. Tailed off since at Doncaster from this mark but potentially more to offer after short break.

Form: 533118

Off The Hook^p1¹⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 113| C

7/2

Won a maiden hurdle here early last year over similar trip and has run consistently in handicaps without looking like winning; seemingly will need the first-time cheekpieces to perk her ideas up.

Form: 14-6343

Baby Ticker⁶⁹

Age: 11| Weight: 11-3| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans| OR: 111| C

11/1

Both hurdles wins on heavy ground (2-17); coming here over 2m in early 2018 and as recently as December over 2m4f at Hexham from 4lb lower mark. Probably worth opposing unless this become a mud bath.

Form: 8/52-416

Ulterior Motives³²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Danny McMenamin⁽³⁾| T: M Todhunter| OR: 109| D

11/1

Off the mark at the fourth attempt over hurdles when making a winning handicap debut off a mark of 102 at Sedgefield (2m5f, soft; 8-1) in January; third behind market principles in Novices' Hurdle at same venue since; capable of better.

Form: 164313

Animore^h⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Ross Chapman| T: I Jardine| OR: 109

7/1

Soft-ground winner over 2m2f at Kelso in December but since pulled up from this mark at Musselburgh (2m4f, good to soft; 6-1) so comes here with something to prove as a result.

Form: 25-541P

Jessiemac^t⁴⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: D R Fox| T: I A Duncan| OR: 103| C

7/2

Returned from summer break to win Conditionals handicap over extended 3m here in October and followed up with 2m4½f course success in November. Runner-up since at Newcastle (3m) from this mark and leading player on recent form.

Form: 15P112

Calle Malva⁴⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-8| J: Blair Campbell⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 102

16/1

£45,000 purchase after some useful form in point-to-points and off the mark in Hexham maiden hurdle (2m4f, heavy; 15-2) in December; pulled up when 50-1 in novices' hurdle here over extended 3m since but early days and should be more to come.

Form: 44-251P

Island Mahee^h⁶⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: B S Hughes| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 90

17/2

Modest improvement on handicap bow at Kelso (2m2f, soft; 16-1) in December but plenty to find with Animore from that outing and not helped being 4lb out of the handicap for this contest.

Form: 55847

Non-Runners

Laskadine¹⁶

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: B Haslam J: R P McLernon

Forecasts

Theflickeringlight (11/4), Off The Hook (7/2), Jessiemac (7/2), Animore (7/1), Island Mahee (17/2), Baby Ticker (11/1), Ulterior Motives (11/1), Calle Malva (16/1), Laskadine (20/1)

Three quick runs may have found out THEFLICKERINGLIGHT when she folded tamely at Doncaster in January but there was plenty to like about her wins at Newcastle and Wetherby either side of Christmas. She may resume progress after a short break now. Jessiemac is in fine form and represents a very solid alternative, while Ulterior Motives and Calle Malva are possible improvers lurking.