Placepot pointers: Foundations a strong Fancy at Ayr on Monday

We’re heading north to Ayr for a crack at a Tote Placepot on Monday, with their seven race card offering up the most appealing of the multi-leg options.

Nicky Richards and Gordon Elliott look to have a couple of big claims on the card, but are they worth including in your perm?

Read on for our Placepot Pointers for those six important races.

You won’t want to be going off too quick on Monday, with it heavy all round at Ayr. We could see the front runners coming back to the field as they make their way up the home straight.

Bruce Lynn has made his 3lb claim count on a few occasions in recent months. He’s seen eight of his last 20 rides hit the frame, not a bad return considering only five of those 20 were sent off single figure odds. He’s won or placed on horses sent off at an SP of 11/1, 16/1, 20/1 and 28/1 in the past couple of months.

He rides CHRISTMAS IN USA in the fourth leg of the Placepot (13:45) for Nick Alexander, himself in good form. The gelding has been off the boil so far this season, but that has seen his handicap mark drop to 94, 4lbs below the rating he scored off in the second of his two wins last term. He needs to bounce back, but with this falling mark and his rider’s knack of getting outsiders into the frame, he merits consideration.

He’s got a double penalty to carry, but Gordon Elliott’s FANCY FOUNDATIONS (Leg 2 - 12:40) will be extremely hard to knock out of the frame on Monday. He brushed aside a well regarded bumper winner of Emma Lavelle’s in Hoi Polloi at Hereford, putting aside any worries punters may have had about him handling soft ground. His win at Downpatrick first up was emphatic, and while he’s got to give a stone to each of his rivals here, it would be a shock if he was out of the places and indeed looks a very solid Tote Win bet.

In the third leg of the day (13:10) it might be worth taking on those at the top of the market. Unohu has been in good form in 2020, and topped it with a runaway success over 2m here last month. He steps up in trip here on a handicap debut off a stiff enough mark. Below him, Rio QUinto is a decent horse on previous form, but comes here off a break of over 600 days.

Instead, a chance could be taken on BABY TICKER who can be expected to step up on his seasonal reappearance where he finished fourth over course and distance off 2lb higher last time. The course and distance winner improved from his first run last term, and a similar trajectory here could see him feature late.

KALAHARRY hasn’t been seen yet this season, and has done most of his running over further, but he is at least consistent. He was only 2l behind a solid yardstick on chasing debut in March, and looks to be on a workable mark. Conditions will suit and he can’t be easily ruled out.

Four runners means only the winner will do in Leg 5 (14:15), and with three of them looking closely matched, there are sure to be plenty of units exiting in the penultimate leg.

Port Of Mars was thought highly enough of to be pitched into Grade 2 on just his third start over hurdles, and made a pleasing enough start over fences with a third placed finish at Bangor.

The pair of MAROWN and Seemorelights met over 2m here with the latter finishing in second, 7l clear of Nicky Richards’ charge in third. That was an improvement on his hurdling form, and it would be no surprise if he were to be involved in the finish.

However, we’re thinking there might be a reversal of that form. MAROWN was a winner over today’s trip at Ayr both in a bumper and over hurdles. He looked to lack the gears for the drop back in trip last time, and will be much more at home with his stamina brought into play here. He could be the one to see punters into the final Placepot leg.

Leg 1: 2, 11 Leg 2: 1 Leg 3: 5, 7 Leg 4: 5, 6 Leg 5: 1 Leg 6: 1, 2