It’s the start of Ayr’s Western meeting on Thursday 17th September, with Andrew Mount having a brace of tips for the flat action north of the border. He also has a selection running at Pontefract this afternoon to complete a trio of picks.
Ayr Racing Tips (Thursday 17 September 2026)
It’s a 1.30pm start for Ayr’s eight-race card, with Andrew picking out selections in the 2.00pm and 2.30pm races.
2.00 Ayr – Vince L’Amour (0.5pt e/w – 9/1 general, five places)
Since 2019, this 5f Class 5 handicap has featured just 15 horses who were dropping down from Class 4 level and five of them won for a profit of £26.75 to a £1 level stake at SP. The wins came in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025 and there weren’t any qualifiers in the two blank years. Last year’s four qualifiers included the 12-1 winner and 7-2 runner-up, while the two qualifiers in 2024 finished one-two (11-4 and 12-1). This year, there are four runners who fit the bill – Vince L’Amour, Lion’s House, Oriental Prince and Whiskey Kisses. Vince L’Amour tends to struggle in high summer (June to August), failing to win from 20 starts but is five from 25 in other months for a profit of £12.62 at SP (+£23.68 at Betfair SP after 2% commission) including a three from six haul in today’s grade. Tim Easterby’s five-year-old was beaten by a short head into second place in this race 12 months ago on similar ground to today’s and will hopefully not be ridden aggressively given the forecast strong headwind. I’ve saved on Oriental Prince, whose trainer is bidding for his fourth straight win in this race. He’s likely to be played late under Paul Mulrennan.
2.30 Ayr – Valley Of Flowers (1pt win – 8/1 general)
Valley Of Flowers is always played late in her races and that looks ideal given the forecast strong headwind at Ayr today. The Coward-trained mare twice failed to stay 2m in July before bouncing back over 1m4f on soft ground at Beverley last month to add to her earlier 1m3f Carlisle win. Today’s 1m2f trip is on the sharp side but with Krissy likely to set a good gallop and the Haggas-trained favourite not sure to appreciate the cut in the ground this looks ripe for a minor upset. I’ve saved on Mudita who’s trained Richard Fahey has a great record when fitting a filly or mare with a first-time hood.
Pontefract Racing Tips (Thursday 17 September 2026)
There’s alternative flat racing at Pontefract on Thursday, with Andrew opting for an each-way pick in the 2.08pm race.
2.08 Pontefract – Beauty Choice (0.5pt each-way – 12/1 general with the firms paying four places)
The Mick and David Easterby-trained veteran Beauty Choice wouldn’t look an obvious bet based on his recent form figures – 704400 since his neck second at Catterick last October but the return to a left-handed track, favourable low draw and drop in class could produce a return to form at Pontefract this afternoon. Six of his seven wins have come on left-handed courses, with the exception in novice company over a straight 6f at Chepstow back in 2020 when trained by Charlie Fellowes. He tends to come good in the autumn and his two previous runs here produced a 13-2 win off a mark of 68 and a 25-1 runner-up effort when rated 74. The 123-day absence is of some concern but, while it’s possible that we’re getting involved a race too soon, and he’ll be winning during October at Catterick, he’s still worth a small each-way play.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets Today
2.00 Ayr – Vince L’Amour (0.5pt e/w – 9/1 general, five places)
2.08 Pontefract – Beauty Choice (0.5pt each-way – 12/1 general with the firms paying four places)
2.30 Ayr – Valley Of Flowers (1pt win – 8/1 general)
Andrew Mount’s Horse Racing Tips – Monday 14 September
FAQs: Today’s Racing Tips
What are today’s racing tips?
Andrew Mount provides his best bets at Ayr and Pontefract.
Which racecourses run on Thursday 17 September?
Ayr, Yarmouth, Pontefract, Southwell and Naas.
Who is Andrew Mount?
Andrew Mount is a professional tipster with over a decade of experience following UK and Irish racing. He combines form study, market moves and trainer intelligence to identify value bets each day, and shares his tips daily on X as @TrendHorses.
When were today’s tips published?
Today’s tips were published at 7.50am on Thursday 17 September 2026.
Commercial notice: This article on GG.co.uk contains affiliate links. The offers we promote come from operators that we trust and our experts have first-hand experience dealing with. If you open an account through one of these affiliate links then GG will earn revenue. However, we ensure that the money earned goes back into improving and enhancing our coverage of horse racing and other sports, as we look to provide an excellent service to our growing audience.