Ladbrokes "Free Bet At Ayr" Handicap

Soft-ground second in the 2,000 Guineas in 2023; smart handicapper nowadays but his only success remains a C&D novice win at the 2022 Western meeting; two good placed efforts over 1m at Thirsk this year but well held at Ascot latest and others are preferred for the win again.

Former winner at this meeting; operating a little below his really smart best so far this year but his handicap mark has edged down and his latest fifth came in a strong 17-runner handicap at the York Ebor meeting (good to firm; has won on soft); eased another 1lb; contender.

Gelded after finishing down the field on his only 2yo start and returned to win 7f novice events in a hood at Kempton (AW) and Doncaster (good) in the first half of the summer; unable to make a significant impact in a Deauville Group 3 without the hood (left off again) six weeks ago but it was still a career-best RPR and he heads into handicaps with an unexposed profile; unraced on slower than good.

Seems at his very best on AW and behind Northern Express at last month's York Ebor meeting; only ninth in this race 12 months ago and others are preferred again.

Two soft-ground wins last year and added another over C&D in July; hasn't fired since, despite the ground being in his favour, but still no surprise were he to revive.