Eight runners at Ayr tomorrow and Ballyfort wins again!

Much milder today after a very cold week, lots of racing lost but conditions look much more promising again now.  Ayr tomorrow and the ground is heavy with soft places, far from certain to suit all of our eight declared runners but they seem in good fettle so we should take the chance while we can and we start with Benny’s Jenny in the novice hurdle at 12.48.

This is her second run for the yard and we are still very much in the process of getting to know her, she appears to have plenty of ability, not sure yet what her trip will be so tomorrow as much about education and fact finding as anything – 10 run and Bruce rides, she shouldn’t mind the ground.

Just an Artist runs in the 13.18; having won nicely on debut at Perth pretty much everything went wrong at Doncaster last time.  Tomorrow is about getting the show back on the road, physically she wouldn’t be ab obvious one for very soft ground but her pedigree suggests she should handle it and that she should stay the 2m 4f, she will need to settle to do that – 7 run and Bruce rides.

We are doubly represented in the 13.48 with course and distance winner Better be Definite (Jamie Hamilton) and Nae Bother at A’ (Bruce).  The former ran well enough over an inadequate trip on comeback from injury last time and I’d expect a significant improvement tomorrow though the ground is a big unknown.  Nae Bother is making his stable debut; from the way he works at home like he is a much better horse than his rating suggests but it is what he does on the racecourse that counts, ground an unknown – 10 run.

A race off then Jirko runs in the 14.48; he has been steadily getting his act together and a repeat of his course and distance second last month would see him go close – fingers crossed, Bruce rides and 9 run, ground should be fine for him.

Platin Moon takes a little step up in class in the 15.18; his last two runs were frustrating in that I know he is a much better horse than that, Ayr should suit him better than Carlisle but the most important thing is that he relaxes through the race – Bruce rides and 10 run.

Finally we have two runners in the bumper at 15.48, Kingsman Mail (Bruce) and Oor Wish (Jamie Hamilton); Kingsman was a good second on debut over course and distance in November and if he has improved for that as I would hope he would then he should play a part, his family generally handle soft ground well.

Oor Wish is making her racecourse debut, she is a lovely long term prospect, tomorrow will be about furthering her education and ensuring that she enjoys the experience – she will want better ground in future, 8 run.

Our last runners were at Ayr on 2nd January and we were delighted with Ballyfort winning for the 2nd time from 3 starts over fences.  Whathaveyou ran very well to be 5th; Coconut Splash, Burning it Up and Gaillimh a Stor ran OK but Boolamore Classic and Travail d’Orfevre were disappointing.