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Tuesday 14 September 2010

The Ayr Gold Cup early thoughts

Well this is probably the last big sprint handicap of the flat season and one in which Dandy Nicholls the sprint king has a great record in. This weekend he has several entered and we will run through all of his horses now to see who has the best chance of winning and who has the best chance chance of being placed in this cavalry charge. We will start at the top of the handicap and work are way down.
EVENS AND ODDS - 104, 9-9, Billy Cray 5lb - 16/1
2nd and then 1st in the last 2 Stewards Cups, he ran in this last year and finished 4th, he is pretty easy as far as the going is concerned and he should be reasonably fresh having not run since his win and he looks certain to be bang there.
TAJNEED - 104, 9-9 - 20/1
A standing dish at Ripon and 2nd in this in 2008, he will need some cut on the going to show his best.
STRIKING SPIRIT - 99, 9-4, Andrew Mullen - 33/1
2nd in this years Wokingham behind Laddies Poker Two and he will need fast ground to show his best. He hasnt run that much and could be open to further improvement on the right surface.
VICTOIRE DE LYPHAR - 101, 9-4 - 10/1
2nd in the Stewards Cup consolation race but you got the feeling that his trainer would have loved him to be in the big one. He is certainly the one open to most improvement. Trainer says he isnt ground dependent and he must have a great chance of being in the first 4 and maybe even win.
REDFORD - 97, 9-2 - 16/1
Hasnt been with the stable long having moved from Kevin Ryan after having been with Michael Bell last season, he has run in all the big handicaps in the past and is another who is easy as far as the ground is concerned although on the easy side might be best. He hasnt got many miles on the clock and this trainer could eek out some more improvement.
SOMETHING - 93, 8-12 - 40/1
He is probably too low in the handicap to get in and doesnt have the same big handicap form as the others.
The going at the track is currently good, good to soft in places and the last 3 winners have been drawn 15 or higher.