15:50 Ayr

Monday 29 April 2024

All14:1514:4515:1515:5016:2517:0017:35

Virgin Bet Handicap

Off time: 15:51 | Winning time: 1m 32.52s

(7)

Kalganov^p⁷²

Age: 5| Weight: 9-9| J: Connor Beasley| T: M Dods| OR: 75| CD

13/2

C&D winner. Three wins from 15 runs last year. Latest win at Newcastle in December. Fourth of 6 in handicap at Newcastle (7.1f, 16/1) 72 days ago. Each-way chance.

Form: 510-544

(1)

William Dewhirst⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Andrew Breslin⁽³⁾| T: B Haslam| OR: 74| D

8/1

Ninth of 11 in handicap (28/1) at Newcastle (6f) 57 days ago. Back up in trip and he has work to do.

Form: 63316-9

(8)

Helter Skelter²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: Callum Rodriguez| T: R Menzies| OR: 73| BF

3/1

Fifth of 7 in handicap (5/2) at Ripon (8f, soft) 2 days ago. Has good chance on pick of form but will need to better that Ripon effort if he's to take this.

Form: 263-465

(6)

Al Muqdad²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: D Nolan| T: D O'Meara| OR: 71| D

9/1

Winner at Newcastle in March. 11/2, below form sixth of 10 in handicap at Catterick (7f, heavy) 26 days ago, having hopeless task from position. One to consider.

Form: 445316

(4)

Cue's Beau⁵¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: O J Orr| T: E A L Dunlop| OR: 70

7/1

13/2, seventh of 9 in handicap at Chelmsford City (8f) 51 days ago, unable to sustain effort. Interesting back on turf.

Form: 221-347

(3)

Classy Al^p⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-3| J: P Mulrennan| T: J S Goldie| OR: 69| CD

10/3

Unreliable type. C&D winner. 18/1, creditable third of 12 in handicap at Musselburgh (5f, good to soft) 8 days ago, slowly away. Can give another good account but may again come up short for win purposes.

Form: 82044-3

(5)

Phoenix Fire^p1²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: Brandon Wilkie⁽⁵⁾| T: M Dods| OR: 69| D

9/1

13/2, tenth of 12 in handicap at Pontefract (8f, heavy) 27 days ago. Cheekpieces on 1st time. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 35440-0

(2)

Iris Dancer²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-1| J: Rowan Scott| T: T Davidson| OR: 67

20/1

Three wins from 16 runs last year. Twelfth of 13 in handicap at Thirsk (5f, heavy, 33/1) 20 days ago. Significantly back up in trip and she needs to bounce back in a major way.

Form: 21100-0

(9)

End Zone^b²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 8-13| J: Jonny Peate⁽³⁾| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 65| CD

18/1

C&D winner. Below form seventh of 14 in handicap (50/1) at Thirsk (7f, heavy) 20 days ago. Blinkers back on. Others have achieved more.

Form: 84391-7

Forecasts

Helter Skelter (3/1), Classy Al (10/3), Kalganov (13/2), Cue's Beau (7/1), William Dewhirst (8/1), Phoenix Fire (9/1), Al Muqdad (9/1), End Zone (18/1), Iris Dancer (20/1)

CUE'S BEAU was below par tried over a mile again at Chelmsford last time but she is of strong interest back down in trip and returned to turf. Indeed, she was a wide-margin winner of a Nottingham maiden on her sole previous start away from the all-weather last spring and has slipped to an attractive mark. The testing conditions may have counted against Al Muqdad at Catterick on his latest appearance and he is second choice with better ground forecast here. Kalganov is also worth a second look.