Gordon Brown – Race Reporter
Gordon has a wealth of experience of racing through his background in the written and broadcast media. His current principle role is reporting and supporting the scene in Scotland on Racing TV and relaying the latest news with Scottish angles.
Nick Alexander is looking for a confidence-boosting run at Ayr from recent faller Eloi Du Puy.
After his tumble at Kelso ten days ago, the Kinneston raider bids to get his career back on track in the Livescore Bet Best Odds Daily Handicap Hurdle.
“He took an uncharacteristic fall early on before the race had even started to get going,” Alexander said. “He had a good season last year but had a belated start this time after a little setback in the autumn.
“He’s in good form but that Kelso run, and he only got as far as the 7th hurdle, was his first since the spring. This is a competitive handicap with several of his rivals coming into the race at the top of their game – given what happened last weekend, I will be happy with a safe round.”
Among those in-form horses are Nicky Richards’ Gege Ville and Ian Duncan-trained The Jeweller’s Pet, who were last-time-out winners at Haydock and course and distance respectively.
The card gets underway with the Virgin Bet Handicap Chase, a qualifier for the Go North Red Rum Series.
Skyhill, trained by Alison Hamilton, scored in amateur company at Kelso just before the turn of the year when his excited locally-based handler sprinted behind him all the way up the run-in on the other side of the rails.
Tom Lacey has his horses in top order and the Herefordshire handler is represented by Mariacoo in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Maiden Hurdle.
He went close in a handicap at Sandown last month and is again ridden by Stan Sheppard, whose only previous course win came on Dorking Boy in October, 2021.