THE obstacles are back at Ayr for the jumps season opener on Monday, October 28, afternoon with a seven-race card. 

Racing gets underway at 12.47pm with a handicap chase for conditional jockeys before the card comes to a close with a two-mile bumper in class five. 

Read below to discover the latest tips and a full meeting preview of Ayr’s card on Monday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds throughout the Jumps season


The opening contest on the card sees a small field of six head to the start for the class four handicap chase for conditional jockeys over the extended three-mile trip (12.47pm).

An interesting opener can go the way of dual hurdles winner Hostile Hotelier for trainer Jennie Candlish, who shaped with encouragement on sole try over fences last winter a return to chasing to start the new campaign could see improvement.

The Lucinda Russell-trained Camp Belan rates the chief threat, a course and distance winner last February. 

Race two on the card (1.17pm) is a novices’ hurdle in class four over two miles and bumper winner Country Mile for trainer Dan Skelton should be the one to beat here, an £80,000 recruit from point to points who went on to win on rules debut at Huntingdon in April on soft ground and should expect similar conditions north of the border. 

Magical Arthur should prove to be a tough nut to crack in race three (1.47pm) in the three mile handicap hurdle and can compete a double on the card for trainer Candlish, who’s six-year-old has improved with the fitting of cheekpieces having finished second at Worcester and scoring at Hexham on his last two starts and can defy a 5lb rise in the weights for that success.

A big field of 14 will take on division one of the class five handicap hurdle to mark race four (2.20pm) on Ayr’s Monday card and it is a pretty wide open contest with plenty holding claims.

Bathgate could be the one to side with, still a maiden but has shown promise in recent runs, fifth of 11 in a Kelso handicap last time out having tailed off but is now three pounds lower in the weights which is a big plus.

The Nicky Richards-trained Rickety Gate could be a big player too, a winner of a Kelso handicap hurdle last time out but has to defy a five pound rise in the weights. 

Division two of the same discipline is race five on the card (2.55pm) with preference heading the way of Entity Of Substanz for the Skelton team, who has shown plenty of promise over hurdles and is back up in trip for his handicap debut.

While the penultimate race of the meeting (3.28pm) can go the way of Home Tree, a winner over hurdles at Lingfield, made an encouraging start over fences when second at Hexham in May and went one better to score at Uttoxeter last time out. 

Finally, the card comes to a close with the bumper over two miles in class five (4.03pm) and of the seven runner field €115,000 purchase Dalston Lad gets the nod on debut, a half-brother to three winners and a winner of a sole start in Irish point-to-points, now in the hands of the top class Skelton team. 


Ayr selections - Monday

  • 12.47pm - Hostile Hotelier
  • 1.17pm - Country Mile
  • 1.47pm - Magical Arthur
  • 2.20pm - Bathgate
  • 2.55pm - Entity Of Substanz
  • 3.28pm - Home Three
  • 4.03pm - Dalston Lad