Guide To Saturday’s Racing 22nd September 2018

The William Hill Ayr Gold Cup is one of the most difficult handicaps to piece together of the entire season, a six-furlong dash where the draw can play havoc. To complicate things even further for 2018, the heavens have opened this week and heavy ground will make the race an extreme stamina test, with twenty-five runners hurtling down the Ayr straight. Away for the feature meeting at Ayr, the Saturday ITV action also comes from Racing HQ at Newmarket and Newbury, where they host a packed card. Our ITV Racing Tips cover each race in what promises to be a bumper Saturday of action!

Son Of Rest hoping to back up a flying performance

There was certainly no fluke about Son Of Rest‘s fantastic performance when beaten half a length in the Group 1 Flying Five at the Curragh last weekend. He lines up in the Ayr Gold Cup with seemingly everything aligning for him, with heavy ground a huge bonus for a horse who will relish a stamina test at this trip. Chris Hayes makes the trip over to take the ride and that is an obvious perk in itself and he looks to lead home an Irish victory in Scotland. The challenges are aplenty, however, including Listed winner Perfect Pasture and the always admirable Growl.

Kessaar looks to continue his role in the Mill Reef

Keen and having to switch out wide to come with his run in a Kempton Group 3 earlier this month, plenty went wrong for John Gosden’s Kessaar. Despite pulling early, he showed a devastating turn of foot to shoot clear in the final 100 yards, clearing away from a rival who is useful in his own right. His profile screams progression and he should be at least as effective back on the turf, if not more so. The Mill Reef has eluded John Gosden throughout his career and he’ll be hoping to make amends today.

Going Reports

Ayr – Heavy, Soft in Places

Catterick – Good to Soft, Good in Places

Chelmsford – Standard

Gowran Park – Heavy, Soft to Heavy in Places

Newbury – Good to Soft, Good in Places

Newmarket – Good, Good to Firm in Places

Wolverhampton – Standard

Market Movers

3.20pm Newmarket – Elysium Dream (14/1 into 8/1)

5.20pm Catterick – Redrosezorro (20/1 into 12/1)

Saturday’s Tips

Our Nap Of The Day tip is flying at present with seven of our last nine returning to the winner’s enclosure and we have another strong fancy on Saturday! We also landed one of our Accumulator tips on Monday and we’ll be hoping to make it two on the week with another strong looking line-up.

Stat Of The Day

If you backed all of Silvestre De Sousa‘s rides at Newbury this year you’d be in the green, delivering a 30% strike-rate from twenty-three rides and returning a huge profit of £50.50 to level stakes. He has a full book of rides on Saturday at the Berkshire venue as follows –

1.15pm – Masaru 
1.45pm – Aquarium
2.20pm – Extra Elusive
2.55pm – Marie’s Diamond
3.30pm – Main Desire
4.05pm – Hermocrates
4.40pm – Compton Mill
5.15pm – Letsbe Avenue