15:20 Ayr

Monday 7 May 2018

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:3518:10

Book Now For The Scottish Sun Raceday Maiden Hurdle (Div 2)

Off time: 15:22 | Winning time: 3m 48.1s

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Selected odds by:

Captiva Island¹⁰⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy| OR: 113

6/4

Ex Gordon Elliott inmate who isn't the most progressive of horses, but is largely a consistent performer. The pick of his hurdles/bumper efforts give him strong claims against these mainly modest looking rivals.

Form: 324225-

El Mono Verde¹⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: D R Fox| T: M M McNiff

66/1

Half-brother to a couple of winners over fences, but hasn't looked anything special in a couple of starts over hurdles. Pulled up at Clonmel (2m+ soft/hvy) in December when last in action. Tries a sounder surface today for the first time.

Form: 0P-

Karamoko⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: R D Day⁽³⁾| T: N G Richards

9/2

Runner up in a C&D bumper (soft) in October, but hasn't really figured in a couple of starts over hurdles at Doncaster and Carlisle. Will undoubtedly have more too offer in the future, perhaps once sent handicapping.

Form: 2067-

Kennedys Field⁷⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: Gemma Anderson

25/1

Showed some minor promise in a Perth bumper (good to soft) in August, but hasn't yet shown signs of building on that over hurdles (0 from 3). Likely outsider.

Form: 550038-

Shankill Castle¹⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: B S Hughes| T: R M Smith

20/1

Left John Joseph Hanlon for £6,000 in January, but pulled hard and finished a tailed off last of 15 on stable debut in a deep bumper here last month. Introduced to hurdles with Brian Hughes booked needing to improve markedly.

Form: 3D60-

Jackhammer^h⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Sean Quinlan| T: Mrs Dianne Sayer

50/1

Lacked fluency on hurdles debut over C&D in March (soft), and was well beaten in a 1m4f Amateur Riders' Flat handicap at Doncaster latest. Still early days over timber, but needs to show considerably more application.

Form: 8-

Leostar¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: A C Whillans

3/1

Solid enough in bumpers, beaten just a short-head by Sporting Press at Musselburgh in March (2m+ good to soft). Tries hurdling for the first time, so interesting to see how he fares in a moderate looking contest.

Form: 5320-

Lady Samback^h1,t³⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: M A Barnes

28/1

Probably needed the run at Carlisle in March; her first start in over eight months. However, she's not looked the strongest of mares in bumpers (form wise), and is hooded for her first attempt over hurdles.

Form: 0/536-

Wadiyatink Now

Age: 5| Weight: 10-9| J: C O'Farrell| T: N C Kelly

12/1

Unraced sixth foal by Shantou out of a fairly moderate dam (Simply Deep). Cost €25,000 as a four-year-old, and is a sister to the useful 2m1f-2m5f hurdle/chase winner Ballynagour. Elects to bypass the bumper route and go straight over hurdles.

Form:

Tildas Icon^t1¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: Henry Brooke| T: P Griffin| OR: 100

6/1

Now a 17 race career maiden (0 from 5 over hurdles). Still early days for this handler, and didn't appear to get home over 2m4f on stable debut at Hexham latest. Tongue tied today, and helpfully drops back in trip.

Form: 36U35-

Forecasts

Captiva Island (6/4), Leostar (3/1), Karamoko (9/2), Tildas Icon (6/1), Wadiyatink Now (12/1), Shankill Castle (20/1), Kennedys Field (25/1), Lady Samback (28/1), Jackhammer (50/1), El Mono Verde (66/1)

Not a strong contest, so any market confidence for the newcomer Wadlyatink Now should probably be noted. Tildas Icon was far from disgraced on debut for Pat Griffin at Hexham last month (weakened up the hill) and should be better suited by dropping back in trip, whilst Leostar brings a solid enough level of bumper form to the table in a very winnable maiden hurdle. However, the Olly Murphy trained CAPTIVA ISLAND has an official rating of 113, and with some respectable placed efforts over hurdles/in bumpers on his CV, has probably found the ideal race in which to finally shed his maiden status.