KENNY THE CAPTAIN can lead by example in the Watch On The Racing UK App Handicap at Ayr.

The five-year-old chestnut is perhaps not one to trust implicitly - he has only won four times in 24 career starts - but there were distinct signs he was coming to hand at Thirsk earlier this month.

Sent off at odds of 10-1 for a tight-looking six-furlong handicap, the son of Captain Rio must have really pleased Tim Easterby by the manner in which he stuck to his task.

Duran Fentiman was hard at work quite a way from home, but his partner kept responding when asked and he was only worried out of it in the closing stages.

Kenny The Captain finished fourth, beaten just under four lengths, but it is hardly an outlandish claim to anticipate big improvement from that seeing that was his first start since December.

A course-and-distance scorer in October 2013 and ideally suited by a little tenderness underfoot, Easterby returns to Scotland with a horse who is now 1lb lower than when he won at this time of the year 12 months ago.

And though he must shoulder joint-top weight, this is perhaps not as good a race as a Thirsk - and yet he should be a much fitter horse.

Nayel signed off last term with a rare old rattle and looks a logical shout in the Phil Rendell Forty Tenth Birthday Handicap at Windsor.

Richard Hannon's four-year-old takes a while to warm to his task, but the results speak for themselves as he is now on a hat-trick.

Race fitness might be an issue on his first outing for 283 days, but he has looked to have been crying out for this mile-and-a-quarter trip.

His fourth-placed finish to Ooty Hill in a hot Newmarket maiden on debut is also evidence of his ability to handle cut in the ground.

Malaysian Boleh ought to go well in the totepool Like Us On Facebook Handicap at Chelmsford.

The Shaun Lycett-trained six-year-old won really handsomely over this course and distance last March and knows the Chelmsford terrain probably better than anyone.

Malaysian Boleh has been highly tried since he last found the back of the net, but, consequently, he has slithered to a most appealing mark of 69.

Colourbearer is not getting any quicker, but the nine-year-old has made a sharp return to form this spring and can be trusted to run with honour in the Southwell Golf Club Pay & Play Handicap at the Nottinghamshire circuit.

Quality Art is also respected in the Ladies Evening Friday 19th August Handicap at Wolverhampton, especially with talented 3lb claimer Rob Hornby back in the saddle.

Naas stages an appealing card across the Irish Sea, with the popular Maarek taken to shine in the Woodlands Stakes.

Slightly unlucky on his return to the fray at Doncaster, the Group One-winning sprinter was even more unfortunate in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket.

Maarek finished three-quarters of a length adrift of Magical Memory in the Group Three, but he had to be switched for daylight inside the final furlong and lost vital momentum.

Winner of this race in 2013, trainer Evanna McCutcheon is obviously keen to cash in before the ground gets too quick for a horse who still has a heck of a lot to offer.

SELECTIONS:

AYR: 2.20 Irish Optimism, 2.50 KENNY THE CAPTAIN (NAP), 3.20 Go Go Green, 3.50 Mount Tahan, 4.20 Incurs Four Faults, 4.50 Gone With The Wind, 5.25 The Wee Barra, 5.55 Sattelac.

CHELMSFORD: 2.00 Van Huysen, 2.30 Malaysian Boleh, 3.00 War Story, 3.30 The Third Man, 4.00 We Are Ninety, 4.30 Pursuitofthestars, 5.00 Simply Clever.

SOUTHWELL: 2.10 Danielsflyer, 2.40 Royal Holiday, 3.10 Phantom Dancer, 3.40 Very First Blade, 4.10 Pericles, 4.40 Favorite Girl, 5.15 Colourbearer.

WINDSOR: 5.30 Awesome Allan, 6.00 Kuantan, 6.30 Rex Bell, 7.00 Nayel, 7.30 Moojaned, 8.00 Duck A L'Orange.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.20 Camargue, 5.50 Swendab, 6.20 Quality Art, 6.50 Marshgate Lane, 7.20 Alyday, 7.50 Upstaging, 8.20 Last Star Falling.

DOUBLE: Kenny The Captain and Nayel.