Saturday’s racing highlight comes from Ayr with the Scottish Grand National, but with top flat and jumps action across the board, Matty Sutcliffe has three main value selections.
Published: 2pm Wednesday, 17th April (Odds correct at time of publishing)
1:50 Ayr – CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) – Bowtogreatness 10/1 1pt WIN
Returning to a flatter track on better ground will aid the chances of BOWTOGREATNESS, who wasn’t granted the smoothest of runs around the rainsoftened Prestbury Park turf in the Kim Muir. That was the third time he’s been well beaten around Cheltenham, but on his next two subsequent after a race at Cheltenham he was 2nd off this mark in the Freebooter Handicap at Aintree last season, then he was an excellent third off a pound higher in the Coral Trophy on his penultimate start. The form of that has worked out well, with the winner beaten two lengths in the Freebooter Handicap at Aintree and the 5th was a length ahead.
Ben Pauling rarely sends one up to Ayr and I presume opted to come here as opposed to trying to go one better at Aintree, which may be a clever move given he’s pitched in against Novices’ here, though he’s has plenty more experience in open company than most, and I’d be shocked should the inform Pauling/Jones combination not be able to get a win out of him soon over fences.
2:05 Newbury – Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Registered As The Fred Darling Stakes) (Group 3) (Fillies) (Class 1) (3yo) – Elmalka 5/1 1pt WIN
Visually, ELMALKA put up a serious performance on debut at Southwell in November on debut, defying a late market drift. She was a touch keen in rear but travelling nicely enough, however she looked clueless once the pace lifted. David Egan had switch her across the track for a run and she absolutely powered home, clocking an 11.08 final furlong to be strong on top at the line, and she took some pulling up.
By Kingman, she’s a half-sister to Benbatl, who like her other three winning sisters, all won first time out (or only time out in Jammrah’s case) as a three year old, which bodes well for the progression of Elmalka. That form is yet to be tested, but visually she looks to be potentially very smart and her pedigree backs that hope up.
2:25 Ayr – Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle (A Limited Handicap) (Grade 2) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Florida Dreams 20/1 0.5pt EW 4 places
FLORIDA DREAMS was unbeaten in bumpers, including winning the Grade Two Bumper at Aintree last season, but perhaps hasn’t gone on quite as how connections would’ve liked over hurdles. That said, I think he’s the type of horse who needs a big field, a strong gallop and a flatter track which will certainly be the scenario here.
While he may lack the class of a Rubaud, Iberico Lord or a First Street, he receives plenty of weight from all on this handicap debut and I think a mark of 126 could underestimate this son of Doyen in time. His game win in a course and distance maiden hurdle worked out well with the next five home all winning next time out, and he wasn’t entirely disgraced in the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle splitting subsequent winners. He didn’t stay three at Musselburgh when jumping poorly under a slow gallop, and I can forgive him enough for that to think this drop back in trip in a competitive event will play to his strengths.
Added: 1.05pm Thursday, 18th April (Odds correct at time of publishing)
1:50 Ayr – CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+) – Maclaine 12/1 1pt WIN
Despite being jocked up, the pesky ante-post gods have struck down upon us as Bowtogreatness wasn’t declared this morning. The other in the contest who I was tempted by was MACLAINE, though given he wasn’t jocked up, I left him yesterday. Harry Bannister now takes the ride, and it’s all systems go.
Residing in Hampshire, the seven hour journey from Plantation Farm to Ayr is a fair way to go for one, and a very rare one indeed. Maclaine will be Bandey’s first runner at Ayr, and he’ll be hoping that Maclaine will at least pay for the petrol for a 400 mile plus trip. The son of Masked Marvel has progressed nicely over fences bar a blip at Doncaster when he’d reportedly bled, but prior to that he was a length second to Prairie Wolf, who’s since climbed 20lbs higher in the handicap having finished nine lengths behind Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham, in January, before recording two comfortable victories at Catterick off 123 and Haydock off 130.
Maclaine was then well backed into 3/1 at Newbury last month, and he caught my eye travelling effortlessly throughout. He never missed a beat under Harry Bannister, with a flawless leap two out to seal the race and he won firmly on the bridle with little need for any animation from Bannister in the finish. He was value for the eventual three length distance there, and an 8lbs rise looks workable. He’ll have to improve again to match the class of some of these, but he’s right at the bottom of the weights, this drying ground on a flat track will suit and he shapes as if this step up to three miles will unlock further improvement, particularly given there’s multiple stayers in his pedigree.
3:35 Ayr – Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race) (Class 1) (5yo+) – Git Maker 1pt WIN 8/1
GIT MAKER was a horse I followed over hurdles a couple of seasons ago, and is gradually developing into a smart sort over the larger obstacles as his physical makeup suggested he might.
Snowden has brought him along steadily over fences, resigned to four Class 3 Novice Chases in the winter in 2022/23, notching up two seconds and two victories in small fields. He made the jump up into open company a successful one taking another small field contest at Lingfield, and was far from disgraced in the Howden Silver Cup at Ascot in December. Connections opted to keep him fresh for a tilt toward the Kim Muir, where it’s safe to say bumped into a fair one. Biddick had him in a prominent pitch and he jumped soundly, travelling strongly into contention and easily going by Whacker Clan at the second last. He jumped the last half a length behind the heavily backed Inothewayurhtinkin, who went on to win by eight lengths, but Git Maker didn’t weaken up the run in and finished up eighteen lengths ahead of the third. Git Maker was only put up a pound for that effort, and I’d say that seriously underestimates his ability particularly over a marathon trip given the winner is now rated 158 having won the G1 Mildmay Novices’ with relative ease next time out.
This well built son of Saddler Maker should have no problem getting the four mile trip on Saturday given the way he finished off his race at Cheltenham, and I wouldn’t be all that concerned with the race coming too soon as he was off for 82 days prior, so he’s lightly raced enough this season and should have plenty in the tank.
3:15 Newbury – OLBG Spring Cup Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+) – Thunder Ball 14/1 1pt EW (Paddy Power 6 places)
THUNDER BALL was a confident enough selection for me last time out in the Lincoln and although beaten eight lengths into seventh, his performance can be upgraded on the basis that he was the first home from those racing prominently into a strong headwind. He travelled strongly on the front end and was still second at the furlong pole though the lack of animation in the saddle from Alec Voihansky in the final three furlongs suggested he probably knew he was there to be swallowed up. To put it into context, the winner raced ‘midfield’, and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th were all noted to have come from ‘rear’.
While he has shown good form on soft ground, the forecast drying weather at Newbury will be no issue for Thunder Ball, who bolted up four lengths here last May on good ground, and the second is now rated 99 having won twice since. He was also an excellent 4th on good to firm ground in the Britannia at Ascot, and was 1st in his group of five when beaten a two lengths 7th in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on good to firm going.
With that run under his belt, he’ll no doubt strip fitter as his record after a break reads 212, and the yard have hit already hit the ground running this season with two winners. Paul Cole has won this contest three times, 2005, 2002, and 1995, coincidentally or not the last time with one who’d fared well in the Cambridgeshire/Britannia the season before, and this well bred son of Night Of Thunder can bring the Spring Cup back to Whatcombe Racing.
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