by Jack Milner
Ayr's three-day Gold Cup meeting kicks-off with an excellent eight-race card this afternoon and trainer John Quinn fancied to land the card's opener for a second successive year with Speed Company (1.20) under Philip Makin. The selection demonstrated a nice turn of foot to score at Musselburgh last time out and give weight and a beating to Richard Fahey's Zaina Rizeena under Paul Hanagan.
Michael Dods' Trinity Star (1.50) disappointed last time out at Thirsk but prior to that had been the model of consistency and can bounce back under Barry McHugh in a competitive renewal of the mile handicap. The selection scored at Pontefract in the spring and followed-up with excellent efforts in defeat at Thirsk in May, and over course and distance in July. The gelding is fitted with blinkers for the first time and that, coupled with the handicapper dropping him 2lb, should see him remain competitive from the foot of the weights.
Keith Dalgleish's Maleficent Queen would be a well-received winner in the Fillies' Handicap over a mile and boasts excellent claims based on her winning debut in handicap company at Carlisle. She hasn't been sighted for almost four month however and with that absence in mind preference lies with Richard Fahey's Miss Van Gough (2.25) under Tony Hamilton. The selection scored twice earlier in the campaign, on good-to-firm ground at Ripon and soft ground at Haydock, and although disappointing last time out at Doncaster is a confident selection to bounce back and reward each-way support on her preferred soft ground.
A bumper field of 14 head to post for the feature handicap over a mile and a quarter and northern trainers well-represented, with Richard Fahey and David O'Meara yards represented with a trio and a brace of runners respectively. Mark Johnston and Joe Fanning teamed-up to win last year's renewal and Salieris Mass (4.35) can give the partnership further success dropping back in trip. The well-bred colt sprang a surprise when making a winning debut at 33/1 at Ripon in the spring and returned from a short break to finish fifth in a warm Newmarket handicap in July. He was well-supported when putting a career-best in last time out at Haydock and can make full use of his 6lb weight-for-age allowance to record a second career success.
At Yarmouth, Luca Cumani's Lilian Baylis (4.10) returns to a mile and a half and is a confident selection to score under Adam Kirby. The well-bred filly won earlier in the campaign at Pontefract, needing every inch of the ten furlongs trip, and was unfortunate to bump into one stepped up in trip last month at Doncaster. The daughter of Shamardal was far from disgraced when second last time out over ten furlongs at Brighton and should be better suited by both the bigger field and stronger pace.
Frankie Dettori was successful with his sole ride at Yarmouth on Tuesday and can similarly score with his sole ride at Chelmsford Park this evening aboard John Gosden's Signed Sealed (8.20) in the maiden over a mile. George Strawbridge's home-bred made a pleasing debut when second at Newmarket last month and should be open to significant improvement to shed the maiden tag at the second time of asking.
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