Ayr Gold Cup Outsiders – 20/1 & 33/1 Selections!

The three-day Ayr Gold Cup Festival reaches its climax this Saturday with eight highly competitive contests. Four races are live on ITV Racing, the feature being the Gold Cup, as well as a high-class supporting card from Newbury including the Mill Reef.

The market for the highly competitive six furlong handicap is headed by Ger Lyons’ Buffer Zone. The four-year-old won a similar contest with a shade to spare at the Curragh on Sunday under Colin Keane. He certainly wouldn’t be a surprise winner, particularly under a penalty which leaves him on a lenient mark.

At the current odds however, preference surely has to lie elsewhere. With bookmakers likely to be paying upwards of six and seven places on the day, it looks the perfect contest for a big priced outsider.

Intisaab

The admirable Intisaab has danced many dances this year without winning, starting the season in the UAE with a head defeat off a nine pound higher mark. He has been knocking on the door since returning to the UK, with form figures over six furlongs, all in big field handicaps, reading 450443.

He’s now five pounds better off for a two-length defeat to Gulliver at York in June, his second placed effort off 101 this summer (now rated 99). Twice failing to stay seven subsequently, he returned to six furlongs with a close third at Doncaster last weekend.

He looked in need of a stronger pace on that occasion, with today’s considerably bigger field sure to grant him the requisite speed to chase. He’s two from three at this track, and he has Angus Villiers, excellent value for his claim, taking seven off an already dangerous mark.

Embour

A winner of three of his first seven starts this year, Embour has been beaten a length, a nose, a length and a length-and-a-half in four of his last five runs, the sole poor effort coming in the Stewards’ Cup.

He was beaten a nose off this mark at Goodwood in August on his last start over six furlongs before just getting outpaced late on behind Justanotherbottle over the minimum trip at Sandown.

Sent off 16/1 for the Portland at Doncaster last weekend, he started slowly in a race where it paid to race close to the pace. He stayed on over an extended five, finishing a close sixth from a pound higher. With six furlongs his preferred trip, he’s of definite interest at twice the price today.

Louie De Palma

Group Two placed as a juvenile, Clive Cox’s Louie De Palma was off the track for 1381 days before returning in May 2018. He’s obviously taken a little while to find his feet, this season seeing him discover some consistency.

Gelded in November, he has form figures of 51233 in 2019. A cosy winner at Ascot in May, he was beaten just a neck ahead of a subsequent scorer in this grade at Newmarket subsequently off just two pounds lower.

He’s been running in weaker contests the last twice, carrying 10-1 on both occasions. For one who races prominently, this has proven his downfall on both occasions, headed in the late stages at both Windsor and Ascot from a pound higher. Whilst a step up in grade normally demands more, the fact that he carries just 8-9, receiving weight from the field today, is a huge positive.

We’ll have tips for all the Horse Racing on Saturday live on site on Friday evening, for Ayr, Newbury and the five other race meetings.