Keatley A Force To Be Reckoned With At Ayr

With six meetings in Britain and Kilbeggan taking place in Ireland, there’s plenty to get stuck into this Saturday and hopefully winners can be found.

We look to Newmarket, Kilbeggan and Ayr for our selections.

A Tough Nation
Nine fillies are due to go to post for the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday afternoon and four of them will be having just their second career start after making a winning debut.

The selection for the race is Nation Alexander however, a filly who didn’t win on debut, and it was a case of third time lucky before she opened her account at Newmarket.

Richard Hannon’s charge was unlucky to come up against a very good sort in Fair Eva, a daughter of Frankel, on her second start.

And she wasn’t beaten a long way by Roly Poly back at Newmarket last month when third at 16/1.

Her experience will certainly stand to her and Nations Alexander at around about 7/2 looks to a nice bet for the afternoon.

Stylish Bolger
The penultimate contest at the Kilbeggan evening meeting is a 2m3f handicap chase and Finish In Style is a horse who looks capable of claiming the spoils.

A beginners chase winner at Tipperary back in October, the five-year-old failed to land a blow in novice events but made an encouraging debut in handicap company last month when finishing third after a lay-off.

If building on that, the JP McManus-owned gelding should be able to account for Le Grand Chene, a consistent sort, who is twice the age of the selection but wasn’t disgraced when fourth in Tipperary last time.

Course specialist
Classic winning trainer Adrian Keatley can currently boast a 50 per cent strike rate at Ayr Racecourse this season with seven winners from 14 runners and since the Kildare native took out his licence he is working off a 36 per cent strike rate at the Scottish track.

For a €1 level stake this year on his runners at Ayr, Keatley’s supporters would be returning a profit of €17.25.

So with two runners at the track on Saturday evening, that can be enhanced.

Mo Wonder runs at 7.10 but it is the three-year-old Forcefull, who is picked to make his latest journey worthwhile.

The three-year-old was last seen at the Galway Festival when finishing best of the rest but 17-lengths behind Motherland. But stepping in against older rivals and thus getting her age allowance, Forcefull will have just 8st4lbs on her back with Robbie Dolan claiming a valuable 7lbs off and her form looks solid enough for her to make her mark in a modest handicap like this.

Recommended Bets:
Nations Alexander – 3.15 Newmarket
Finish in Style – 8.00 Kilbeggan
Forcefull – 8.10 Ayr

*Prices correct at time of publication.