15:20 Ayr

Saturday 12 March 2022

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

Virgin Bet Fives Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 6m 38.3s

Final Reminder¹¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-11| J: Bruce Lynn⁽⁵⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 108| CD

6/1

Won over C&D last spring but is largely an unreliable type and has showed no promise this term, refusing to race at Kelso and merely plugging on into fourth at Catterick 11 days ago. Hard to fancy.

Form: P7-13R4

Pammi^p³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-7| J: B S Hughes| T: J S Goldie| OR: 104| D

12/1

Triple winner at Perth this summer but she's been badly out of sorts recently, again going with little fluency when last of 9 at Musselburgh last month. Back up in trip but she's best passed over.

Form: 464859

Franks Fancy²²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 102| D

11/1

Kelso novice winner last season but has made no impact in a pair of handicaps this campaign. Dropped another 5 lb but hard to know how much ability he retains.

Form: 64-3469

Barney Stinson^b1¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Nathan Moscrop| T: A Nicol| OR: 101

28/1

Fair, if error-prone, novice for Mouse Morris last season, placed on all 4 completed starts in maiden hurdles. Shown little on 3 outings for this yard, and blinkers now reached for.

Form: F23-880

Don Brocco^p¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: Ryan Mania| T: H Graham & G Rutherford| OR: 96

9/2

Caused a 66-1 shock when edging Shoeshine Boy out at Carlisle 19 days ago, though had shaped promisingly earlier this term and he remains unexposed over staying trips. 4 lb higher but shortlisted.

Form: 6P3F01

Whoa Black Betty²⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁷⁾| T: Mrs J Stephen| OR: 95| D

5/1

Won back-to-back apprentice events at Newcastle and Musselburgh last term and though she hasn't matched that form in outings this season, she didn't have a hard time here last month and may improve.

Form: 3P11-P7

Shoeshine Boy¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Craig Nichol| T: D W Whillans| OR: 92

85/40

Improved for the switch to handicaps, runner-up over 2½m at Hexham and Sedgefield in late-2021 before finishing a length behind Don Brocco at Carlisle 19 days ago. 2 lb better off with that rival now.

Form: 657222

Askgarmor⁴⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-0| J: Harry Reed| T: T Davidson| OR: 82| D

7/1

Point winner back in 2016 who has been very lightly raced under Rules. Placed on first 2 outings this season but was below best at Wetherby last time. Place claims if able to return to form.

Form: 87/P-230

Non-Runners

Stoney Rover²⁵

Weight: 11-12| Age: 9

T: A M Thomson J: Edward Austin

Off The Beat²²

Weight: 11-3| Age: 8

T: A M Thomson J: C O'Farrell

Forecasts

Shoeshine Boy (85/40), Don Brocco (9/2), Whoa Black Betty (5/1), Stoney Rover (5/1), Final Reminder (6/1), Askgarmor (7/1), Franks Fancy (11/1), Pammi (12/1), Off The Beat (25/1), Barney Stinson (28/1)

SHOESHINE BOY and Don Brocco were evenly matched in their meeting at Carlisle late last month, and though Don Brocco got the better of his rival there, Shoeshine Boy is slightly better off at the weights this time and perhaps has more room for progression on only his fourth handicap start. Stoney Rover can fill the frame in a race that lacks depth away from the market leaders.