The jumpers on show at Ayr and Plumpton 15 days before Cheltenham are never likely to be potential stars of the future and there are not many runners on the card at either track that demand to be backed. The all-weather card at Wolverhampton does have one very interesting race, however, a six-furlong handicap with £12,000 for the winner.
A strong and very competitive field of 12 runners is due to go to post, and a fair case can be made for at least nine of these on the pick of their form. The one who makes most appeal at the odds, however, is Fast Track (3.55), who returns to the track and trip where he got off the mark on the all-weather two runs ago.
David Barron’s six-year-old has been a familiar sight in decent sprint handicaps for several seasons, and while his strike-rate is relatively low – four wins from 26 starts – he has gone very close in much stronger races than today’s off marks in the 90s. He is also relatively unexposed on the all-weather, having raced on artificial surfaces just three times, and his win at Wolverhampton on in January, off just a 2lb lower mark, was his best run for a couple of seasons. He is very fairly priced at around 11-2.
The Gay Cavalier (4.25) found plenty of trouble in running last time out and could be an interesting bet at 7-1 with Adam Kirby taking over in the saddle, while Gnaad (5.25) should also go very close in the finale.
Up at Ayr, Beaumont’s Party could be the answer to the handicap hurdle, and while Smuggler’s Stash is currently the outsider of six in the stayers’ handicap chase, he is 8lb better off with Finaghy Ayr for a recent beating by a dozen lengths and will be much better suited by today’s extended slog in heavy ground. It is difficult to eke out much value on the Plumpton card, meanwhile, but Minella Gathering (4.35) should go well at around 3-1 at a meeting where several short-priced favourites are difficult to oppose.
Monday tips
(All times GMT)
Ayr: 2.10 Trongate, 2.45 Beaumont’s Party, 3.15 Billy Billy, 3.45 Smuggler’s Stash, 4.15 Chidswell, 4.45 Strong Economy (nb), 5.15 Dunly
Plumpton: 2.00 Cigarisi, 2.35 Bagging Turf, 3.05 Snippetydoodah, 3.35 Shimba Hills, 4.05 Coolking, 4.35 Minella Gathering
Wolverhampton: 2.20 Pour L’Amour, 2.55 Cruise Tothelimit, 3.25 Poetic Queen,
3.55 Fast Track (nap), 4.25 The Gay Cavalier, 4.55 Atkinson Grimshaw, 5.25 Gnaad
