Uncle Phil – 1.15 Ayr
I ride Uncle Phil in the first and he was good when he won at Fairyhouse the last day on ground that was unknown for him. That was a big step forward. He jumps brilliant and he is a horse on the improve. He will have to put his best foot forward here again and run to that level at least or build on it off a career high mark. He has a chance if we can get him into a nice rhythm.
Sharjah – 1.50 Ayr
Sharjah is dropping back into handicaps after spending most of his life running in Grade 1s and being so consistent. He was runner-up in a couple of Champion Hurdles and has won a clatter of hurdles around Leopardstown. He has just been finding life a bit hard over fences on winter ground in G1 company. Any bit of drying will help him here. The step up in trip is an unknown but he has a nice way of going, he is a very gentle horse, and that will help him get the trip. Back in handicap company, he just might find things happen easy for him. He has to shoulder 12stone so that won’t be easy but if he can start enjoying it and the ground isn’t too sticky, he will run a nice race and has the class.
Bialystok – 2.25
He is a consistent horse who has been finding a couple too good for him. He looked like was running a huge race at Cheltenham and he didn’t get up the hill. He ended up being beaten by 20lengths by Absurde in the County Hurdle. He was running a nice race at Leopardstown before being brought down before that and his run previous to that was in the Royal Bond where he was beaten by less than 3lengths. I think his form is rock solid. We are hoping for the best. He is quite exposed so it hard to see where the improvement will come for him but he will run a consistent race and we will try our best.
A Penny A Hundred – 3pm
She is a novice who has some vey nice form and some questionable form. She had a nice ground behind Jade De Grugy the last day. She might be unexposed and open to a little bit more improvement. I think she has a nice way of going stepping up in trip and I think she will settle well enough and get into a nice rhythm. Her one try on a trip like this was on very heavy ground at Limerick and I can’t imagine the conditions will be like that. It wasn’t an easy decision picking in this race.
Spanish Harlem – 3.35 Ayr
I will ride Spanish Harlem in the Grand National with Danny Mullins staying on Macdermott. He got on very well with him at Fairyhouse where they landed a huge pot. He could be a horse on the improve and will love the trip. My horse has some nice form tied in with some of these, he is a good work horse at home, and he just let us down on the track a few times. If you go back far enough he was beaten 4lenghts by Inothewayurthinkin and that form looks very good now. Hopefully he an put it altogether to land a big pot and it would be a big help for everyone. He’s not without a chance and things seem to be coming together for him so we shall see.
Chosen Witness – 4.10 Ayr
He was disappointing at the start of the season but has been putting it together since he won a maiden hurdle at Thurles. He stepped up at Cork and ran a lovely race, beaten by 3 ½ lengths by Lucky Zebo. He steps up in trip again but wears a hood for the first time. I think he is a horse open to improvement. He has gained plenty of experience for getting beaten a few times and he is going the right way.
Quai De Bourbon – 4.10 Ayr
I think he is my best ride on the day. His form is rock solid and he has done nothing wrong. He was beaten by 2lengths by Better Days Ahead at Cheltenham. He was a well fancied horse going to that race and only came up two lengths short, but his form has been so consistent.
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