Ayr Saturday

1.15 Scotty Brand Handicap Chase (Listed) 2m 110yds

Malystic makes plenty of appeal having had a pipe-opener at Doncaster in February, where he was still travelling well enough when unseating five fences out in a quality handicap won by Bun Doran. Peter Niven’s charge was a non-staying second to Allmankind in the Grade 2 novice chase on this card last year, and he has an excellent record after a recent run, with his lifetime figures when returning to the track after a break of eight weeks or less reading 210122113.

His only unplaced effort came in the Grade 2 Aintree bumper when a 50/1 shot.

Forward

Malystic clearly handles this track well, and his forward-going style suits Ayr really well, with the nature of the track lending itself to front runners and/or nimble jumpers.

Most of his rivals tend to be held up, and while both Gold Des Bois and Ardera Cross are front-runners, Brian Hughes should be able to slot in easily towards the head of affairs, and track position could prove crucial.

1.50 CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase 3m 20yds

Favourite Dusart looks one to oppose here, given he has made mistakes on all three chase starts despite being described as a natural on the schooling grounds.

If he loves jumping as much as Nico de Boinville claims, he’s not showing it away from home, and a mark of 147 looks very stiff on what he has actually achieved, most recently finishing a respectable fifth of seven finishers in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham.

The two I’d have against the field are Lord Accord and Sounds Russian, with preference for the latter, who has made a big impression at a lower level over fences, and looks well worth his place in this better company.

Runner-up on all three starts over hurdles, Sounds Russian has taken really well to fences, winning with his head in his chest at Kelso last time. He didn’t beat a great deal, but looked in a league of his own, and posted a smart timefigure in the process.

Ruth Jefferson has been quietly racing up the winners this term, with a 30% strike-rate in recent months.

This gelding looks a natural over fences, and is unexposed, so while the sharp rise in class needs to be noted, he could just be a smart prospect, and that’s the way I view him. Jefferson has resisted the urge to run him at either Cheltenham or Aintree, and her late father liked to lay one out for this meeting.

2.25 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m

Not the classiest running of the Scottish Champion, but a very open one, with almost all the runners worthy of attention.

Milkwood won this last year and has since posted an excellent second in the Galway Hurdle, but he’s on something of a retrieval mission having not taken as well as expected to fences in the autumn.

I suspect that Galway may well be the main aim once more, and his liking for quick ground means that starting him off here makes sense.

Fresh effort

I wonder if this race will come too soon for West Cork, whose best efforts have come when fresh, and he had quite a hard race when an excellent fourth in the County Hurdle last month.

Anna Bunina has a solid each-way chance, but she has yet to win a handicap, and screams place much more than win, so I’m inclined to look elsewhere for the winner.

Unfortunately, the fancy prices about Jimmy Moffatt’s Alqamar have long gone, but he still makes some appeal at around 11/1. A classy sort on the flat at around one and three-quarter miles, he has taken well to hurdling, winning all three of his completed starts in handicap company.Alqamar hasn’t been seen since unseating at Wetherby in October, but Moffatt has a fine record when bringing his handicappers back from a break, and he may well be underestimated here given he’s been winning at Cartmel, which is Moffatt’s local track.

While Cartmel is deemed little more than a holiday venue by some, the efforts he produced to win there in July and August look very good on paper, and he appears competitively handicapped.

3.00 Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) 2m 4f 110yds

Do Your Job ought to be favourite for this Grade 2, particularly in receipt of weight from the penalised Minella Drama.

He would – in my view – have beaten both that rival and Il Ridoto in the Henry VIII won by Edwardstone at Sandown in December, and he got within 10 lengths of Alan King’s star in the Desert Orchid at Kempton.

Bounced back

Michael Scudamore’s son of Fame And Glory bounced back from his one off-key effort by winning a handicap chase at Newcastle in February, and he has never finished worse than runner-up on good to soft or faster ground (221F21).

He’s the one to beat on the book, and that is backed up by more forensic analysis. I’d back him at anything bigger than 7/4.

3.35 Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 3m 7f 176yds

Christian Williams has a strong hand, but having backed Kitty’s Light at 25/1 when beaten last time, I’m loth to pile in again at much shorter odds in a tougher race.

It’s important to find a horse with the speed to sit handy but also the stamina to stay beyond three miles, and my shortlist includes a pair who proved their credentials when running well last year, namely The Ferrymaster and Cool Mix.

I’ve also had a bet on El Paso Wood earlier in the week.

Cool Mix was fifth here a year ago, doing well to recover from a rare blunder at the 21st fence, but going on well at the finish.

He’s not a frequent winner, but is consistent, and has run well for the last couple of seasons over fences, with form figures away from soft or heavy ground which read: 31335342.

Despite that consistent run, he is able to run from a lower mark than for any of those efforts, and he looks notably well treated, even before his rider’s useful 7lb claim is taken into consideration.

There are plenty to consider in the Scottish Grand National, but it is Cool Mix who stands out from a handicapping persective, and he can improve on last year’s effort from a mark which is now 6lb lower.

Recommended

Malystic 1.15 Ayr – 1pt win @ 11/2 (Hills, 5/1 general)

Sounds Russian 1.50 Ayr – 1p win @ 4/1 (Hills, 7/2 general)

Alqamar 2.25 Ayr – 1pt win @ 11/1 (BetVictor, Ladbrokes, 10/1 general)

Do Your Job 3.00 Ayr – 2pts win @ 5/2 (general)

Cool Mix 3.35 Ayr – 1.5pts e/w @ 11/1 (Betfred 7 places, or general 6 places)