Thursday Racing Tips from Steve Ryder

This looks a competitive 0-70 handicap but preference goes to the Iain Jardine trained NEVER DARK (best priced at 5/1) who runs here 3lbs “well in” at the weights. The five-year-old is yet to win at Ayr in his career but he did finish a close 4th in the Bronze Cup last year off an 8lb higher mark so we do know that he handles these conditions. 

Never Dark finished 2nd by a short head at Doncaster a week ago off a mark of 73 in a 0-75 handicap and he now runs here off a mark of 71 dropping down into a 0-70 handicap. The handicapper has raised him 1lb for that effort meaning that he runs here 3lbs “well in” at the weights and I expect him to run well with Danny Tudhope taking over in the saddle with up to six places on offer.

The William Haggas trained REMEMBERING (best priced at 7/2) has finished in the placings on all of her three career starts to date and she looks to be underestimated on her handicap debut off a mark of 79. The daughter of Frankel finished a distant third behind the impressive Emily Upjohn on her debut at Sandown before finishing a close second at Redcar on her next start. She returned from a 91 day break to get off the mark at the third attempt at Catterick when she won easily by three lengths justifying her short start price of 2/9. 

In all of her races so far, Remembering has raced keenly throughout so the fitting of a hood for her handicap debut looks a positive and she should prove hard to beat off an opening mark of 79.

The Kevin Frost trained INFINITI (best priced at 3/1) has won all four starts under Aiden Brookes and I expect the pair to prove hard to beat once again in this race. The nine-year-old mare won at Wetherby, Nottingham and Chepstow in June before finishing 2nd at Doncaster when ridden by amateur jockey Dr Misha Voikhansky instead. She got back to winning ways last time at Ripon with Aiden Brookes back on board winning by 3 ½ lengths off a mark of 56. 

The handicapper has raised Infiniti 7lbs for that victory up to a mark of 63 but she is in the form of her life and should run well with Aiden Brookes once again on board.