Prey looks good to swoop for Ayr victory

Having finished runner-up in a Listowel bumper on his racecourse introduction for Emmet Mullins, the five-year-old appeared quite a useful recruit for trainer Nick Kent.

However, he was well beaten in bumpers at Carlisle and Sedgefield and with his hurdling debut at Market Rasen just as disappointing, he was moved to Malcolm Jefferson's yard prior to the start of the current campaign.

He made an encouraging start for his new trainer at Wetherby in October, travelling well for a long way before failing to get home.

It was no surprise to see connections test the water over the minimum distance back at the West Yorkshire circuit last month and it proved a good call, with Robbing The Prey running easily the best race of his short career to date when filling the runner-up spot.

That effort suggested two miles in soft ground suits him well and he should be hard to beat in what does not look a great race on paper.

The step up in trip seems sure to suit Lucinda Russell's Big River in the Watch Racing UK Today Just £10 Handicap Hurdle.

The lightly-raced six-year-old has been sparsely campaigned, winning a bumper and a maiden hurdle at Kelso in 2015 before returning to the Borders track after a year off in October.

While he was far from disgraced in finishing second, he showed there that two miles is an insufficient test for him now and the extra five furlongs here should be right up his street.

Dan Skelton's Some Invitation reportedly surprised connections when he won on his racecourse debut at Wetherby so it bodes well ahead of the Blackmore Builders Novices' Hurdle at Hereford.

Usually newcomers from this yard are strongly supported in the market but he was a relatively weak 6-1 shot suggesting, as was confirmed afterwards, they were not expecting much.

He looks a chaser in the making but if he had not met the second last all wrong he would have beaten the odds-on favourite Monbeg Charmer much further than a length.

Mystical Knight looks an interesting recruit to fences in the attheraces.com Novices' Chase.

Trained by Rebecca Curtis for JP McManus, he looked a nice type when getting the better of General Principle at Navan and he went to the Sefton Novices' Hurdle quietly fancied.

While that Grade One proved beyond him, connections have been patient and this former point-to-pointer looks likely to raise his game over the larger obstacles.

Holiday Magic might be capable of defying top weight in the totequadpot Four Places In Four Races Handicap at Chelmsford.

Trained by Mick Easterby, he was a decent performer for Charlie Appleby in his younger days.

At his peak he had a handicap rating of 95 but a few lacklustre runs saw him drop alarmingly to a perch of just 74.

Not surprisingly off some 20lb lower than his highest mark he was able to get competitive once more, but he was just touched off when the money was down at Newcastle in November.

A month later he went to Wolverhampton and while there were no fancy prices banded about he was quite a cosy winner from the in-form Ripoll.

He is back up to a mark of 80 now but there could still be a bit more in the tank.

While Holiday Magic steps up to a mile, Ripoll stays at seven furlongs and should also be backed in the @totepool Tweet Us With Your #toteelfie Handicap.

Sylvester Kirk's three-year-old quite possibly faced a tough task if Holiday Magic is on course to return to something like his peak form so he can be rated an unlucky loser.

He only went down by a neck and with youth on his side compared to some in the race, there should be more to come.

SELECTIONS:

AYR: 12.50 ROBBING THE PREY (NAP), 1.20 Titian Boy, 1.55 What A Dream, 2.30 Hartforth, 3.00 Big River, 3.30 Sam's Adventure.

CHELMSFORD: 1.45 Dazacam, 2.15 Kingofmerrows, 2.50 Holiday Magic, 3.20 Ripoll, 3.50 Kenstone, 4.20 Skidby Mill, 4.50 Istimraar.

HEREFORD: 12.35 Barton Rose, 1.05 Some Invitation, 1.35 Miss Maiden Over, 2.05 Mystical Knight, 2.40 Oscarteea, 3.10 Texas Forever, 3.40 Just A Thought.

DOUBLE: Bestiarius and Big River