13:00 Ayr

Saturday 12 March 2022

All13:0013:3514:1014:4515:2015:5516:30

Virgin Bet Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 13:01 | Winning time: 5m 42.70s

Eternally Yours⁶⁹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: D W Whillans| OR: 116| D

7/2

Lightly raced in recent years but she was much sharper than on reappearance when third at this track (24.3f) 10 weeks ago. Clearly fragile but, down at her last winning mark, she rates a big player.

Form: 73/2P-53

Mega Yeats¹²⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: M Walford| OR: 115| BF| D

11/2

Fairly useful hurdler for Ruth Jefferson in 2019. Has yet to recapture that level of form for current yard, producing another lacklustre display on chase bow/reappearance at Hexham in November.

Form: 77/233-P

Island Mahee^h¹⁶²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: D A Jacob| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 109

22/1

Fair hurdler. Winner of Musselburgh handicap in March and ran up to best when second at Perth on first 2 starts this season. Possibly amiss when last seen at Hexham in October and hood goes back on.

Form: 013-225

Fiadh³³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 109

25/1

Bumper winner who landed a weak mares' maiden hurdle at Newcastle in November. Possibly in need of the run when fourth at Carlisle last month but others arrive with more pressing claims.

Form: 121374

Pepite De Belle^t²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Toby Wynne⁽⁷⁾| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero| OR: 109

33/1

Fair winning hurdler who went close in a mares' maiden chase at Wexford on final run for Sam Curling last spring. However, pulled up on both starts for this yard and now switched back over timber.

Form: 5532-PP

Charm Offensive^p1²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: C O'Farrell| T: N W Alexander| OR: 108| C

3/1

Has proven a model of consistency and finally got off the mark at this track 25 days ago, leading run-in and just holding on. Likely to be on the premises again she's sporting first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 22-2341

The Delray Munky^p²⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 11-0| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 104| C

8/1

Kelso chase winner in Dec 2020 and shaped as though she may be coming to hand when fifth of 15 in Newcastle handicap in January. Ran no sort of race last time however so needs to bounce back quickly.

Form: RP-6557

Jessiemac^t²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-11| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁵⁾| T: I A Duncan| OR: 101| C

11/2

Twice a winner here in the past and back on the scoresheet when getting on top close home over 25.3f at Catterick in January. Better form when runner-up here last time so should be in the mix again.

Form: 8-P6512

Lissen To The Lady^p²²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Miss J Walton⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss S E Forster| OR: 93

6/1

Showed improved form to register a second C&D success at Kelso last month. Clearly in good order but has tended to struggle from marks in the nineties in the past.

Form: 865601

Non-Runners

Calle Malva²

Weight: 10-8| Age: 7

T: Miss Lucinda V Russell J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Charm Offensive (3/1), Eternally Yours (7/2), Mega Yeats (11/2), Jessiemac (11/2), Calle Malva (11/2), Lissen To The Lady (6/1), The Delray Munky (8/1), Island Mahee (22/1), Fiadh (25/1), Pepite De Belle (33/1)

A case can be made for a few of these, but ETERNALLY YOURS stepped up on her comeback run when third at this track back in January and,with her mark easing a shade further, Donald Whillans' charge is put forward as the answer. Jessiemac arrives at the top of her game so she's fancied to give the selection most to think about, ahead of Charm Offensive and Lissen To The Lady.