Friday’s Racing tips: Best bets and odds from Ayr

There’s another ‘fab Friday’ of action ahead and our horse racing correspondent Jonathan Doidge has four selections for us from Ayr’s Western meeting using the best odds from betting sites.

Hickory Lad will very likely go off as the favourite on horse racing betting sites for this race, with a Group 2 third (of three runners) and a Listed third to his name this season.

That latest effort came at York in the Roses Stakes (5f, good to soft) behind Sale Shark, although it didn’t quite match that Newmarket Group 2 third in the Bahrain Trophy back in July.

Either way, at this level he is clearly a force to be reckoned with and he had DANCE A JIG some way behind him on the Knavesmire. However, the latter’s effort was a disappointing one and he is less exposed than the market leader.

He showed he can handle some ease in the ground when he was a ¾-length second on his debut at Doncaster (5f) in March and he had a largely upwardly mobile profile prior to that recent effort.

While we have an eight-runner field, we can play for three places with him. Trainer Ralph Beckett won’t be sending him to the west side of Scotland to assess the horse box and he also reaches for headgear this time, two factors that can prove significant.

Mussab enjoyed a confidence-boosting AW win last time and looks a potential danger now tried at this level.

Dance A Jig (Ayr, 14.30) – 1pt each-way @ 11/2 (William Hill)

BEAUTIFUL DIAMOND has proven form at this track and with some ease in the ground and is taken to justify market leadership in this Listed sprint.

The Karl Burke-trained selection won this race last year when conditions were described as soft and she’s been largely consistent despite not winning again since. She followed up that win here last year with a close second in Listed company at Ascot (5f, soft) and, after a winter off, was also placed in the Listed Lansdown Stakes at Bath (5f, good) back in April.

There was a blip when she travelled to France in May but she bounced back with a good third in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock (5f, good to soft) later that month and her most recent effort was back here in Listed company in June, when one length third behind Argentine Tango.

She won this last year when she had been given a break and her trainer has followed the same pattern this time, a move that I think can pay dividends. Lady Youmzain and Luna A Inbhir Nis both look to have each-way bet claims.

Beautiful Diamond (Ayr, 15.05) – 2pts win @ 15/8 (SkyBet)

Ladbrokes Ayr Bronze Cup Handicap (15.40, Ayr)

A very tough race to get right on an annual basis and the history of the draw over the last decade doesn’t offer any major clues, with winners in that time coming from all across the track.

Of the many who can have cases made, the one I think could be worth siding with is FRANCISCO’S PIECE.

Adrian Keatley’s gelding arrives in good form, having won a Class 4 event at Musselburgh (5f, good) in July, before bettering that, having been gelded, with a close second at Beverley (5f, soft) from his current mark, having gone up slightly in grade for that contest.

We’ll not really know how the draw is, in terms of advantageous or otherwise, until racing gets underway but the selection should at the very least have slightly fresher ground to race on that those drawn towards the inside, so it could play into his hands as a compelling option for a bet on the horses.

Francisco’s Piece (Ayr, 15.40) – 1pt each-way @ SP

Zenith Ltd Building Partnerships That Last Handicap (Div I) (16.15, Ayr)

This looks tricky but one that catches the eye, on paper at least, is the Mick and David Easterby-trained GLORIOUS KITTY.

The Cotai Glory filly is a course and distance scorer who has not yet won with cut in the ground but appears to handle it well enough, having been second to The Gay Blade here (7f) on soft ground in June.

She’s drawn towards the inside in stall three, which looks advantageous for a free-going type as she is, so Joanna Mason may be capable of getting her out at the head of affairs, where hopefully she’ll stay.

She’s on a handy mark given her form so far this season on betting apps and she is taken to win again.

Glorious Kitty (Ayr, 16.15) – 1pt win @ 4/1 (Bet365)

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