The Ayr Gold Cup takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon and Phill Anderson of the Racing Post supplies us with his best bets for the card.
Saturday’s card at Ayr features both the Ayr Gold and Silver Cup handicaps and we have selections and analysis for three of the races on the card.
Ayr Racing Tips
14:30 Ayr - Jungle Drums @ 16/1
15:05 Ayr - Dark Issue @ 11/4
16:50 Ayr - Quest For Fun @ 6/1
14:30 Ayr - Jungle Drums @ 16/1
Unlike the Ayr Gold Cup, the Silver Cup doesn’t have too many soft ground specialists in the line-up and it looks like the more attractive betting heat of the two races, particularly with bet365 offering six places for the consolation race.
With that in mind, it’s worth looking for some each-way value and one that fits the bill is Jungle Drums.
His career best came in York’s Rockingham Stakes which was on very soft ground over six furlongs and he’s had limited opportunities on slow ground subsequently for his new connections. However, he posted a creditable effort in testing conditions at Goodwood last time out and he seems to have been kept fresh for an autumn campaign with slow ground in mind.
Jamie Osborne has his string in excellent form coming into the race, running at a 42% strike-rate in the last fortnight (at the time of writing) and even a couple of those that have been beaten are outrunning their odds.
Ground could be a key factor in landing this year’s Silver Cup and given that we know Jungle Drums is going to handle conditions just fine, he looks overpriced at 16-1 with bet365.
15:05 Ayr - Dark Issue @ 11/4
It looks like a weak renewal of the Firth Of Clyde and Dark Issue could be the one to take advantage.
Richard Hannon’s filly made a highly creditable start to her career when winning at Goodwood and confirmed the promise of that effort when finishing fourth in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.
That was a huge effort in the circumstances having been drawn on the wrong side and both her and the winner (Libertango) forfeited plenty of ground having to come over to the near side rail.
That piece of form couldn’t be working out much better with the winner landing the Lowther Stakes since, the runner-up (Sun Goddess) winning four races since including two Group 1s and the third also winning a Group race in the interim.
Dark Issue’s subsequent run at Ascot was too bad to be true when sent off a warm order for another Group 3 but she got herself firmly back on track at Salisbury subsequently when finishing a closing second in the Dick Poole Stakes (Group 3), an effort worth marking up having been forced to wait for a run.
She also showed she handles an ease in the ground the last day and if she continues to progress, she could be hard to beat dropped in class here and it would be no surprise if she ended up going off favourite.
16:50 Ayr - Quest For Fun @ 6/1
Ayr’s finale has a competitive look to it but Quest For Fun should be firmly in the mix in testing conditions which the veteran relishes.
The eight-year-old has been running some big races in defeat this season, despite not getting his ground and his effort when beaten a neck in a competitive York handicap last time out is worth marking up having not been seen to best effect.
The gelding’s form figures at Ayr read 122 which includes a second in a division of this race last season from a 1lb lower handicap mark and a total of 2lb for his last couple of efforts at York is on the lenient side from the assessor.
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Tipster’s Recent Winners
Phill Anderson picked out five winners for bet365 last month including Dancing In Paris (recommended at 12/1) and Johnny Concrete (recommended at 5/1).
Ayr Racing Tips
14:30 Ayr - Jungle Drums @ 16/1
15:05 Ayr - Dark Issue @ 11/4
16:50 Ayr - Quest For Fun @ 6/1
Horse Racing Betting Guides
What is an Each Way bet in Horse Racing?
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
