The Scottish Grand National meeting kicks off on Friday at Ayr. Matty Sutcliffe goes on the value offensive, with six best bets for the day at significant prices.
1:30 Ayr – Slater Menswear Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-130) – Static 11/2 1pt WIN + Ravenscraig Castle 10/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
A four year old who’d previously fared well in the Fred Winter won the penultimate renewal of this competitive handicap and STATIC can be considered with that in mind. A dual winner in France, the son of Clovis Du Berlais made a promising debut on these shores for Olly Murphy when beaten a neck in the Wensleydale Juvenile Hurdle by Liam Swagger, who franked the form to a degree when a staying on sixth length third in the Fred Winter last time out.
His next three starts were likely ridden with a view to the Fred Winter in mind so the form can’t necessarily been taken at face value, but there was little disgraced in his eighteen lengths second to East India Dock having forced the pace with him, but there was plenty of promise in his eight length seventh at Cheltenham last time out on debut for Donald McCain.
Having traveled widest throughout toward the rear, he made a premature move around horses prior to the turn under Charlie Maggs and found himself in the lead with Hot Fuss turning for home, before weakening two out having hung left up the run in. He only finished two lengths behind the second, and given ve of the six in front of him came from rear/midfield, his finishing position can be upgraded slightly having not quite got up the hill after that prominent move.
He’s 7lbs lower than his opening British mark and he looked to be fairly treated last time out, and this flatter track at Ayr should suit him much better than Cheltenham.
RAVENSCRAIG CASTLE is 0-9 over hurdles and 2-28 on the at, but he’s had a further twenty three places in his career and has been running well of late. He was beaten a length by Slugger when pulling seven lengths clear of the third at Musselburgh in January, with the well backed winner now rated 134 having finished second in a competitive C2 at Aintree last week.
He then caught the eye traveling strongly in rear in the Scottish County Hurdle on the unfavourable outside, beaten three lengths into fifth. He made smooth headway again last time out, but the inside rail didn’t appear to be the place to be and the trip to Ayr could suit better given his winning form here on the flat.
Iain Jardine has booked the excellent Callum Pritchard for the first time, who’s valuable 5lbs claim has seen him well among the winners of late, and the grey warrants respect for frame possibilities on suitable ground.
2:40 Ayr – Get Home Safe With Thistle Cabs Handicap Hurdle (Class 3) (4yo+ 0-125) – Gailimh A StOr 14/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
GAILIMH A STOR has form figures of 51222 at Ayr over hurdles and remains unexposed in handicap hurdles, with his record reading 33228 as opposed top F2FPU in handicap chases. He’s winless since his novice success here in 2022, but he’s only had the eleven starts in three seasons since and has been consistent over hurdles this season.
He was beaten three lengths at 25/1 from a 627 day break at Kelso in December, and there was no bounce factor when stepping back up to three miles over C&D in January when beaten a head by one returning from a long layoff who’d previously finished second in a G2 over fences. After jumping poorly again over fences, he returned to hurdles over 2m5f and didn’t travel particularly well throughout, weakening to be beaten 15 lengths into eighth. He has work to do with Ace Of Spades on that evidence, but the return here up in trip can bode well with his C&D form ready 22, and the addition of cheek-pieces look the right move to help him travel sweeter throughout.
3:15 Ayr – Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) – Prairie Wolf 14/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith have a fantastic strike rate with their chasers since taking out a joint license, with their record reading 62-15-36 (£18.31+) and PRAIRIE WOLF is taken to go two places better than his two length defeat off a pound higher in this contest last season.
That was his first attempt out of novice company, and while this season hasn’t gone entirely all that straight forward, he returned to the winners enclosure at Haydock in January with a comfortable four length success. The form’s worked out very well, with the second finishing fifth in the Greatwood Gold Cup, the third rate 11lbs higher having finished second and won in class two company since prior to a fifth in the Red Rum, the fourth won next time out and both the fifth and sixth finished second on their next two starts.
Prairie Wolf has been well beaten in his next two starts since, but the first came when jumping poorly throughout at Kelso and he was only turned out eight days later, which perhaps explains the defeat despite a 5/2F.
He’s had forty eight days off the track to recover, and with his record at this trip 2m4 1/2F) reading 1413, he’s a big enough price for his in form stable to bounce back to form with this contest likely to have been the seasonal plan. Gavin Sheehan takes over from Peter Kavanagh, with his record for the yard 2/6 this season.
4:25 Ayr – Coral Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2) (4yo+ 0-150) – Nurse Susan 5/1 2pt WIN
This will be a big weekend for Dan Skelton with the trainers championship hanging on by a thread, and given his form figures in this contest in the last nine renewals read 14323211, NURSE SUSAN is taken to come on drastically for her Martin Pipe eleventh and improve the yards record in the race.
She was a confident selection for the column when a non runner at Aintree last week, but the thought process remains the same as I thought she ran a promising race from the front at Cheltenham from a 418 day layoff, with the trainer remarking prior that she wasn’t quite ready for the race.
Given she’s usually held up, I’d be of the opinion that it was merely a pipe opener for another target which explains why she blew up late having still lead the eld prior to the last, but that will have put her spot on (albeit it was likely for Aintree) for her next test. She’s 2/3 in handicap hurdles and remains somewhat unexposed with her record standing at 4/8, and should she retain her ability then a mark of 132 looks more than workable with the first time cheek-pieces to eke out further improvement.
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