1.40pm Ayr Tips & Betting Preview 09/07/2017

A mile and a quarter maiden to start the Sunday card at Ayr. Read on for our full race preview and tip.

IN SUMMARY: If the market is to be believed, Pouvoir Magique will win this with his head in his chest. At the odds though he isn’t worth supporting unless a very big hitter. Our original selection Fire Leopard is now a non runner so the obvious bet is ITSALONGLONGROAD who is bred to stay, to chase the odds on favourite home or take advantage of any chinks in his armour.

1 WEE BOGUS – Showed a modicum of promise in his bumpers, notably when fourth at Sedgefield in May. He was soundly beaten off on his flat debut at Hamilton last time and although the better ground here will suit him better than the very soft that day, he needs to improve massively on that to play a hand.

2 ANNA’S LEGACY – A Jim Goldie homebred, her dam was a winner over two miles on the flat as well as scoring over hurdles and fences. She is a half sister to Braes Of Lochalsh who is an Ayr regular, but everything about her breeding suggests that handicaps and more of a stamina test are going to see her in a better light.

3 HUGOIGO – A half brother to Anna’s Legacy, he has shown little in a pair of maidens so far. As is the case with his sibling, he is likely to be seen in a far better light once he has a handicap mark.

4 ITSALONGLONGROAD – Went into many notebooks after a very smart debut at Galway last September when chasing home (the now 110 rated) Exemplar. He was well beaten at Listowel on similar ground the next time when sent off favourite but just eleven days down the line, it’s likely that the quick return did him no favours. He faded late on in both starts so will have had to have grown up plenty over the winter now tried over further but is bred to stay and a first time tongue tie should allow him to extend his finishing effort.

5 POUVOIR MAGIQUE – Beaten on debut in a warm looking Sandown maiden, but he was held up a long way out of his ground. The moral winner of that contest, this doesn’t look a field that contains as much quality as that one so is going to be prohibitively short as he looks to score at the second time of asking. A rare runner for John Gosden at Ayr, just the third in five seasons, but the first two were both beaten.

6 RED STAR DANCER – Finished three quarters of a length in front of Wee Bogus at Hamilton ten days ago. He is another who has shown enough to suggest that he has a small race in him, but that is far more likely to be a small handicap further down the line than this one.

7 FIRE LEOPARD (NON RUNNER) – Did well to finish third when last seen, given that she pulled Shelley Birkett’s arms from their sockets from the second they left the paddock. A hood gets fitted for the first time in an attempt to get her to relax, if working, she should be able to up her form considerably on what she has shown so far. Going to have to improve hugely to beat the favourite but should be fighting it out for the each way money.