Horse Racing Tips: Back two nice prospects at Ayr for a Monday double

• Alexander rookie fencer can defy a 10lb rise

• Nab Wood taking up the easier option today

• Alan Dudman previews Ayr on Monday and his double pays 11/26.50

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Ayr - 14:20: Back Hombre De Guerra @ 11/82.38

It's nice to be greeted with a jumps' card at the start of the week, and while Ayr is not over-blessed with runners and numbers, we are playing towards the top of the market with the two tips.

The presence of a Gordon Elliott runner at the track is always to be noted and he has a 22% strike-rate here in the last five seasons, but his runner Western Fold is tricky to assess as he fell on his chase debut against Majborough at the last when beaten.

Hombre De Guerra was not on a par over hurdles with Western Fold, and was beaten by Primoz too over the smaller obstacles last term but he looks a much better chaser on the body of his work this term.

He was no match for Caldwell Potter at Carlisle on his chasing debut but looked the part winning for about 90% of his win at Ayr last time, his first in a handicap with a convincing win.

Nick Alexander said after the race that Hombre De Guerra was going to take a lead but was left in front at the first due to a poor jump from his rival on the inside and he was not for catching soon after and at one stage had a mammoth lead going into the straight.

He misjudged a couple of fences but on the whole it was a reasonable jumping round and he certainly has the build of a chaser.

A rise of 10lb is fully deserved and it will be interesting to see how Western Fold jumps and copes with his mark of 138.

But we stick with Alexander, who is second in the Ayr table for winners over the past five seasons with 44 and a level stakes profit of +16.00.

Ayr - 14:52: Back Nab Wood @ 7/42.75

Nab Wood was entered in a decent race at the weekend which trainer Nicky Richards subsequently swerved, and while a fair race at 14:52 at Ayr today, this will be less like Sysiphus pushing the rock up the hill and can get his season up and running.

He looked a progressive horse last term in soft conditions with two wins as a novice at Kelso, both impressively too including an easy success on his handicap debut at the Borders track.

Held up in both, he has a good cruising speed for a stayer and I imagine Richards has been waiting for testing ground as a novice win (by a double-digit margin) was on ground that Timeform described as heavy (rather than the official soft).

It was underwhelming seasonal opener last time - once again at Kelso and once again at 2m7f on Boxing Day, and he might have simply needed the outing after 317 days off. He wasn't helped by being hit by a hurdles' panel either.

Richards is 2-13 at Ayr this term which is on a par with is 15% strike-rate at the track over the past five seasons and the drop in trip to the extended 2m4f won't be a problem as he looks to have a bit of pace for a stayer and the long straight at Ayr will play to his strengths too.

His hurdling has been quite impressive to date.

Now read more tips and previews for Monday here!