Ayr Gold Cup Festival: Dave Nevison's best bets for day one

Harb came back from a four-month break and made a winning debut for his new stable over course and distance last time out. 

The six-year-old looks to have been laid out for this meeting by Tristan Davidson and has plenty going for him. 

Harb has been raised 5lb for the win, which is fair enough, and a glance back through his form shows he won off this mark at Sandown at the end of August last year. 

That win came on soft ground, so he will also not have a problem if the rains arrives. He has got a favourable low draw and Billy Loughnane has been booked, so everything is in place for a good run here. 

Crowd Quake began life getting beaten 65 lengths in a Huntingdon bumper but beginning from an absolute basement level has won seven handicaps for Stuart Williams this season. 

He almost made it eight at Doncaster last week, when beaten a head by a lightly raced Roger Varian-trained improver in a seriously competitive handicap. He might have ended up in front a little too soon on that occasion. 

Crowd Quake can run off the same mark on Thursday and is still seriously well in for my money, so he looks a strong bet to win yet again. 

Katie Scott’s yard is in very good form and she seems to have entered most of her yard at this meeting. 

However, I suspect the trainer is getting quite frustrated at the number of seconds she has been having, a situation exemplified by Cooperation, who has been runner-up four times, including twice at Ayr, since he won a handicap at Newmarket in May. 

The consistent seven-year-old was possibly a little unlucky over this trip at Newcastle last time and only needs things to fall right for him off the same mark to land another handicap.