16:18 Ayr

Saturday 29 October 2022

All13:2313:5814:3315:0815:4316:1816:53

Marine Troon Hotel & Spa Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:23 | Winning time: 4m 8.7s

Settings

Selected odds by:

Pay The Piper²⁵³

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: Danny McMenamin| T: Mrs A Hamilton| OR: 139| BF| D

10/3

Useful over hurdles and quickly made up into an even better chaser last season, scoring at Newcastle before good seconds at Wetherby and Musselburgh. Testing conditions possibly against him when tried in cheekpieces (omitted here) when last seen at Kelso in February and he remains of interest.

Form: 231224-

Mackenberg²⁰⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 137| D

4/1

Unbeaten in 3 starts over fences last term and he was flying too high back hurdling in a Grade 3 Aintree handicap on his latest start in April. Solid claims returned to this sphere, provided he's ready to roll following a break.

Form: 37111P-

Hasankey²²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-11| J: Lewis Dobb⁽⁷⁾| T: L Morgan| OR: 136| CD

10/1

Made excellent strides over fences last season, winning 3 on the bounce prior to finishing a very respectable sixth of 16 in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival in March. Conversely, he does look a shade too high in the weights for now.

Form: 2U1116-

Dubai Days^h²¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Bruce Lynn⁽⁵⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 128| CD

7/1

Three-time hurdles winner who matched that tally in this sphere when readily landing the odds in a 4-runner C&D handicap in April. 6 lb rise tolerable and won't be far away if he's fully tuned up for this assignment.

Form: 313U11-

Slanelough¹⁹⁶

Age: 10| Weight: 11-1| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 126| CD

18/1

Resumed winning ways in a match at Newcastle in March but off since coming in last of 5 in a 2m handicap chase at Carlisle the following month. Others look stronger.

Form: 132215-

Cedar Hill¹⁷⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 10-13| J: C O'Farrell| T: A M Thomson| OR: 124| D

33/1

Won twice last season and he put in a decent shift when second at Kelso (17f, good to soft) on his latest start in May. 1 lb lower back from a break here but this 8-y-o looks vulnerable all the same.

Form: 15150-2

Douglas Talking^t¹⁷⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-9| J: S Mulqueen| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 120| BF| CD

11/2

Winless following 4 attempts over hurdles but it's a different story in this sphere, winning his first 23 completed starts handicap chases. Failed to fire at Kelso last time but he possesses lots of scope and may well get back on track here.

Form: 411F1-5

If Not For Dylan^h¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: A B Hamilton| OR: 118| C

11/4

Justified strong support and proved better than ever when successful at Perth in May. Good efforts at Kelso and Carlisle since returning from a break last month but likely to again find one of two too good.

Form: 42U-132

Forecasts

If Not For Dylan (11/4), Pay The Piper (10/3), Mackenberg (4/1), Douglas Talking (11/2), Dubai Days (7/1), Hasankey (10/1), Slanelough (18/1), Cedar Hill (33/1)

It's easy to forgive DOUGLAS TALKING for a below-par display at Kelso on his latest start in May and, progressive prior to that, he could be the answer to this competitive handicap chase. Pay The Piper and Mackenberg both makes a fair bit of appeal, while Dubai Days and Hasankey also merit respect.