Daryl Carter's Tips: Back Snazz 13/2 to bring home the Jazz at Ayr

• Genuine soft ground for the first time in an age

• Course winner and a career-low mark

• Says Snazzy Jazzy has optimum conditions to go well at Ayr

15:55 Ayr - Back Snazzy Jazzy @ 13/27.50 1pt e/w

It is a competitive race, but Admiral D is short at the top of the market, considering he was favoured by his racing position in the Ayr Silver Cup to finish a good third - the first 15 all raced either centre or far side. As was Snazzy Jazzy - 13/27.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - but the heavy ground is a reason to think the eight-year-old can reverse the two-length deficit.

The time of the Silver Cup was very good and narrowly faster than the Gold Cup an hour later, and the selection was finishing off his race strongly. Still, the times suggest the ground was on the quicker side of good-to-soft, but there's no escaping from the fact that it is heavy today.

That will suit a handful of these, including Snazzy Jazzy, whose career record when given 6f and soft or worse ground reads 4021111. The latest fourth came in May 2022 on seasonal return after a gelding operation when in a conditions race against runners rated 106, 115, 100 and 104 and unfavoured at the weights by at least ten pounds. His zero was again on seasonal return in 2021 in the Wokingham off of a rating of 107.

He hasn't had soft ground since refusing to race at Thirsk last April.

There's little point trying to go through his form, as his career-high rating of 110 suggests he was a very useful animal in his pomp. Still, his latest start for his new yard was a step back in the right direction, and perhaps today's optimal conditions can see him back in the winner's enclosure for the first time since Hamilton last June (off 94).

He boasts a decent course record here at Ayr in three runs (two in the Gold and Silver Cup), while his only run under today's conditions at this venue resulted in a Class 2 handicap win in 2018.

He is on a career-low rating now of 86 and might be the sole runner in the field with everything in his favour, so in the hope he improves again on his latest showing on just his second start for the yard, he gets the vote and should be hard to kick out of the frame with the Betfair Sportsbook paying four places.