Monday tips: Andy Stephens has three fancies at Ayr

The cold and wet has given racing a bumpy start to 2025 with Monday’s fixture at Ludlow being the latest to be called off because of waterlogging. 

Officials at Ayr were also due to inspect at 7am because of the threat of snow and freezing temperatures, but that check was brought forward and the track is fit for action, with the going described as soft, heavy in places. 

I’ve got three short-priced fancies on the card and will be sticking them in a Trixie (doubles and a treble). 

With Montregard and Shighness early non-runners, this reliable nine-year-old has been left with only three rivals to beat. 

He’s won or finished in the first three in his past dozen races, showing untapped reserves of stamina to finish in the frame in the Borders National over 4m at Kelso last time. 

Dropping back to 3m will be no bother – he has usually runs in races  at up to 2m 4f – and he’s run plenty of creditable races at Ayr in the past. Deep ground holds no fears for him and he’s slipped back to his last winning mark of 102. 

Prince Des Fichaux arrives under a cloud, while Monochromix disappointed last time and remains a maiden. That leaves Destiny As All as the main threat, but he’s inconsistent and is equipped with a first-time tongue-tie after running a dull race at Newcastle last time. 

None of the quartet are usually front-runners, so that part of the equation is a mystery. A steadily run race should, in theory, inconvenience Travail D’Orfevre the least given his form over shorter. All in all, the 11-10 on offer looks generous.

This is something of a replay of the 2m handicap chase at Hexham last month. Tommy Combats took the spoils that day with Raffles Wonder about two lengths back in third and Heeztheboy another length back in fourth. 

Tommy Combats is a shortish price to confirm his superiority but Raffles Wonder looks a good bet, at a general 7-2, to turn the tables on 5lb better terms as he was returning from almost eight months off on what was his chasing debut. 

He certainly showed plenty of athleticism, with RaceiQ revealing that he gained 10.33 lengths with his jumping. He was awarded a Jump Index score of 7.5 out of ten. 

It looks like the chestnut may turn out to be a better chaser than hurdler – perhaps that is no surprise as he’s related to Rouge Vif on the dam’s side of his pedigree – and he’s raced almost exclusively in the mud. 

This useful middle-distance Flat performer is on a roll over Jumps and can complete a swift hat-trick. 

He clicked at the fourth time of asking over hurdles when scoring at Wetherby on December 27 and the, switched to handicap ranks, bolted up by 14 lengths at Catterick on New Year’s Day. 

He runs in this 0-110 contest under a 7lb penalty, but that is again offset by the 10lb claim of James Robottom. 

Taking his Flat form into account - he’s still rated 86 in that sphere – then you would imagine he still has plenty of upside. The opposition is nothing to shout about and the only niggle is whether three quick races will find him out, but that seems factored into bookmakers quoting him at Evens.