No Meltdown For Ice Age At Ayr

The Ayr Gold Cup is the highlight on another busy Saturday of racing and although Fozzy Stack’s Son Of Rest has been all the rage this week, the trip must be a concern for backers of the Irish raider.

The ground has turned heavy at Ayr and it’s going to take a tough horse to win the £200,000 showpiece today.

Ice Age To Warm Up Houghton
Son Of Rest ticks a major box in that he has won on very testing ground in Ireland but the concern over him getting the trip is too much to be taking the 5/1 with BoyleSports.

Scott McCullagh rides Ice Age for Eve Johnson Houghton and he is the selection from this corner for the Ayr Gold Cup.

The five-year-old is a 20/1 shot and that looks a big price.

Seventh in the Bold Lad Sprint at the Curragh last week and finished seventh, but that was a race he won on much more testing ground 12-months ago and a return to those type of conditions may help Ice Age’s chances.

McCullagh is an apprentice that we may hear a lot about for the remainder of this season and this would certainly be a huge springboard for the son of Niall McCullagh. His 7lbs claim brings Ice Age down to 9st and he may just still have the ability to be very competitive in this massive pot at a big price.

Bunyan Bidding For Group 3 Honours
Darren Bunyan is convinced he has a Group 1 sprinter on his hands in Hit The Bid and for a while in the Flying Five at the Curragh last week it looked as though his dream would be realised.

Hit The Bid only finished fourth in the end but wasn’t beaten that far and after reportedly coming out of the race in fine fettle he goes again six days later, just like Sioux Nation and Take Cover who Hit The Bid was sandwiched by on Sunday.

Providing the ground doesn’t get much softer at Newbury it is…

Hit The Bid that is picked to oblige and reverse the form with Sioux Nation.

The O’Brien runner has to concede 2lbs this time and probably has failed to live up to what was expected of him and Hit The Bid may well be able to return to winning ways here under Leigh Roche.

Recommended Bets:
Ice Age (20/1) – 3.50 Ayr
Hit The Bid (11/2) – 3.30 Newbury

*Prices correct at time of publication.