Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Ayr, Newmarket and Newbury on Saturday. View selections below.
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MAFAAHEEM (4.25) may turn out to be the best bet on the card at Ayr. The four-year-old hacked up 11 lengths on heavy ground from Raining Stars and Zeelander in a Nottingham maiden last season and chased home Society Red at York when last seen in June. Trainer Owen Burrows will have him tuned up for this return to action.
MAJOR JUMBO (3.50) has been knocking at the door all summer and can bag the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup for northern trainer Kevin Ryan. Probably his best run came in the Wokingham Stakes at Royal Ascot when just outpointed by Bacchus and Dreamfield, and apprentice Finley Marsh is an interesting booking taking off 5lb. Major Jumbo handled soft ground when third at York last May over an inadequate five furlongs and stall nine seems a fair pitch.
Ryan saddles three other runners and Teruntum Star could well outrun his big odds. He has won twice at Newmarket on soft ground and there was also cut in the ground at Doncaster last autumn when fourth to Dream Of Dreams, with classy Sir Dancelot fifth. He disappointed at Ripon last time but is well handicapped these days.
Growl, runner-up to Ryan’s class act Brando in 2016, is 2lb lower and is likely to play a prominent role for Richard Fahey.
LUALINA (5.00) split useful Oh This Is us and Lake Volta at Chester earlier in the month and was a clear-cut winner on soft at Musselburgh back in March. The gelding also ran very well behind Get Knotted at York when the track was riding deep.
NEVER SURRENDER (5.35) seemed to handle heavy ground at Haydock when hunting up Reshoun and can give a good account of himself in the closing 1m 5f handicap. Sepal made no show at Doncaster last week but conditions are right up his street.
At Newbury, YOUNG RASCAL (2.20) looked an exciting prospect earlier in the season when mopping up the Chester Vase and bids to get his career back on track on his first run since finishing seventh in the Investec Derby. Favourite Mirage Dancer looked good when thumping Red Verdon at Goodwood, while Desert Encounter attempts to repeat last year’s narrow success over Second Step.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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