Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Ayr

Leg 1 Selections: Chuzzlewhit

CHUZZLEWIT made a complete mess of the start on debut at Redcar but made up a lot of ground mid-race to take an eye-catching fifth and wasn’t disgraced when midfield in the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes next time at York. Kevin Ryan clearly thinks a lot about this horse, hence why he was highly-tried last time and now that he has his sights set much lower here, he can confirm his initial promise and get off the mark by beating Baltic Voyage.  

Leg 2 Selections: Hi Royal

Kevin Ryan has a strong team and he has another excellent chance on the card with HI ROYAL, who displayed a lot of promise when a close-up third on debut at York in what was a valuable maiden event and the way he kept on strongly that day suggested he will prove an even better horse over further. He also drops down massively in grade, likewise to his stablemate in the opener, and with lots more to come, he should prove hard to beat. 

Leg 3 Selections: Prospect, Never Dark

A wide-open handicap but PROSPECT is generally consistent and ran another solid race when third at Beverley last time behind two higher-rated opponents. The handicapper has reduced his mark by a pound, in which he can now compete off his last winning mark and he gets on well with Graham Lee. Hewent mightily close over track and trip on his last visit here in a class four event off a six-pounds higher mark, so has a good chance on these terms. 

Iain Jardine’s NEVER DARK went close off a two-pounds higher mark at Doncaster last time when dropped into this grade for the first time in a while, where he was beaten just a short-head at the finish. Given he’s eight-pounds below his last winning mark, which in turn came in a class four event, and his record in class five company reads 323112, he is certainly on the shortlist. I can see him winning this race, especially if the cheekpieces work the oracle for a second time. 

Leg 4 Selections: What’s The Story, Faylaq

WHAT’S THE STORY seemed to really enjoy over course-and-distance last month, where he was ridden from the front and never saw another rival en route to winning very comfortably by over two lengths. The assessor has applied pressure by upping his mark five-pounds, but he’s won and hit the frame off higher marks in the past and has proven himself in Listed events too. With track, trip, conditions and a good draw in stall 1 all ideal, he can present a major threat to all off top-weight. 

FAYLAQ hasn’t won for a long time but he’s really caught my eye the last two times, firstly when fourth of 15 at Hamilton in a highly-competitive event before filling the same spot behind Mujtaba at Doncaster off the exact same mark. He would have probably been second with a clear passage, so off the same mark again, the six-year-old shouldn’t be taken lightly in his quest for a first win in three years. 

Leg 5 Selections: Misty Dancer

Simon Crisford doesn’t send many to this course, so it should be noted when he does and he has a good chance in this race with MISTY DANCER, who recorded a facile success at Goodwood three weeks ago and moves into handicaps off a lenient mark. Rob Hornby is an interesting jockey booking, and this improving filly is clearly on an upward curve at the moment. This isn’t an easy race by any means but she should be more than capable of at least making the frame here. 

Leg 6 Selections: Tommy G, Cisco Disco

TOMMY G has a fabulous record at this course, in which he’s won here seven times in total, and Tom Marquand is an interesting booking. The nine-year-old hasn’t been anywhere near his best of late but this is a drop in grade and he’s six-pounds below his last winning mark, so he could feature in the outcome.

CISCO DISCO is another who drops in grade and wasn’t disgraced in a better race here when last spotted. He made the frame multiple times off higher marks in Ireland last year, so Richard Fahey’s charge has a chance of making an impact.