1.50pm Ayr

Dusart

This is a horse we thought the world of in an interrupted hurdling campaign last year, and he has steadily learned the chasing game this term with wins at short prices at Leicester and Exeter. All things considered, we had to be delighted with his fifth in the three-miler at Cheltenham, especially as the torrential rain that day was probably not ideal for him, and what encouraged me most is how he finished off his race on the run-in. He battled on well there, when he could easily have dropped away. I think a mark of 147 is fair, and the expected better ground is another plus. He has top weight, but he certainly has his chance in a competitive handicap.