15:13 Ayr

Thursday 29 January 2026

All13:1313:4314:1314:4315:1315:4316:13

Coral Racing Club 'Join For Free' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:16 | Winning time: 6m 34.50s

Felicie Du Maquis^t⁵⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 12-1| J: R Patrick| T: C Boultbee-Brooks| OR: 121| DWS

12/1

Course winner who wasn't disgraced on just his third run over fences when fourth of 6 in handicap chase at Chepstow (23.6f, good to soft) last month. Reverts to hurdles after a wind op and this veteran mare is no forlorn hope.

Form: 6D14-74

Rocheval⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: P W Wadge| T: L Russell & M Scudamore| OR: 116| C

5/1

Course winner who posted a solid fourth of 6 in handicap hurdle at Carlisle (25f, soft) 46 days ago. Merits consideration eased 1 lb.

Form: 2F6-P64

President Scottie^p⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-10| J: Danny McMenamin| T: N G Richards| OR: 116| C| D

15/2

Course scorer who shaped as if back in form in first-time cheekpieces when eighth of 11 in handicap chase at Kelso (32.4f, soft) 53 days ago, close up until bad error 4 out. Not ruled out back over hurdles.

Form: 333P-48

Carismatic Soldier^p1⁵¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: S Bowen| T: O Murphy| OR: 114| BF

9/2

Made an encouraging return when third at Wetherby (21f) in November but made mistakes when last of 5 at Uttoxeter following month. Sent off odds-on there and worth another chance with cheekpieces fitted.

Form: 2/213-35

Buzz Iceclear^p1⁴⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: M Walford| OR: 111| CD

10/3

Much improved this season, scoring over C&D and at Wetherby. Excellent third of 9 off a 10 lb higher mark in 3m Ascot handicap last time so he's a likely player with cheekpieces now added.

Form: 367-113

Fox's Fancy⁵³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-5| J: D R Fox| T: L Russell & M Scudamore| OR: 111

9/1

A fair winning hurdler but she's yet to hit top form this term, coming in a well-held fourth of 10 in handicap hurdle at Kelso (22.7f, soft) 53 days ago. Needs to take a big step forward despite a slipping mark.

Form: 423-F44

Gaillimh A Stor^v1,t²⁷

Age: 10| Weight: 11-3| J: Dominic Hislop⁽¹⁰⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 109| C| D

14/1

It's now 15 runs since his sole win in 2022 and he came in only seventh (on the back of a wind op) in C&D handicap 27 days ago. Not easy to make a case for.

Form: P8P-9P7

Theme Tune^p⁵⁷

Age: 11| Weight: 11-0| J: Bruce Lynn| T: N W Alexander| OR: 106| D

40/1

Landed a pair of 3m handicap hurdles in 2022/23. Lightly raced since and below par, a remote fifth of 7 at Haydock (24.3f, good) 57 days ago. Needs a couple of these to falter.

Form: 6/956-75

Canunclecani²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Mrs J Stephen| OR: 105

16/1

Fair maiden hurdler who comes here in decent nick, fourth of 11 in novice here (20.4f, soft) 27 days ago. May do better still now going handicapping so possibilities.

Form: P52-024

Shoeshine Boy^t¹⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 10-8| J: Craig Nichol| T: D W Whillans| OR: 100| CD

11/1

Capitalised on a much-reduced mark when gamely bagging a third C&D victory in 10-runner handicap 16 days ago. Back up 4 lb but this veteran can't be discounted.

Form: 9-832F1

Adveram^p⁵⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Callum Bewley| T: I A Duncan| OR: 99| C

9/1

Ended a long losing run reverted to hurdles in 9-runner handicap at Hexham (23.3f, heavy) 50 days ago, holding on gamely. Needs to back it up now off a 3 lb higher mark.

Form: 385-371

Grand Voyage^t,p⁵⁹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-2| J: Joshua Thompson⁽⁵⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 94| C

40/1

A fairly useful winning hurdler/chaser at his best but he arrives well out of sorts, last of 7 in handicap hurdle here (19.5f, heavy) 59 days ago. Hard to warm to.

Form: 1-45P87

Pure Sirloin^v³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-2| J: Harry Reed| T: Miss S E Forster| OR: 89

33/1

Just the one win to his name when landing a Navan handicap hurdle back in 2023 for Gavin Cromwell. More miss than hit for present yard and looks up against it from 5 lb out of the weights here.

Form: 6P3-P36

Forecasts

Buzz Iceclear (10/3), Carismatic Soldier (9/2), Rocheval (5/1), President Scottie (15/2), Fox's Fancy (9/1), Adveram (9/1), Shoeshine Boy (11/1), Felicie Du Maquis (12/1), Gaillimh A Stor (14/1), Canunclecani (16/1), Pure Sirloin (33/1), Grand Voyage (40/1), Theme Tune (40/1)

Not as competitive as the numbers suggest and the much-improved BUZZ ICECLEAR is taken to quickly resume winning ways on the back of an excellent Ascot third. Carismatic Soldier fluffed his lines when odds-on at Uttoxeter last time out but had been on the up prior to that and could emerge as the chief threat, although course winners President Scottie and Rocheval can both have a say too. Veteran C&D scorer Shoeshine Boy completes the shortlist.