NAP
Frere d'Armes found his winning sequence coming to an end at Ascot last time, but he still shaped encouragingly after four months off, holding every chance in the straight before his lack of fitness seemed to tell late on.
He was beaten five lengths at the line and the winner, Black Gerry, advertised the strength of that form when defying a 7 lb higher mark to follow up on his next start at Plumpton.
Still a fresh horse for the time of year, Frere d'Armes is likely to have more to offer now fitted with a tongue strap for the first time and he remains one to be interested in from a BHA mark of 136 as he tries to make it three wins from his last four starts.
NEXT BEST
Colonel Mustard shaped like the best horse at the weights when filling the runner-up spot in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso last time, doing well to be beaten only two lengths having raced closer to the strong gallop than ideal.
Picked off late in the day by one who came from much further back, he impressed with the way he went through the race and his running style looks ideal for two miles at a sharp track like Ayr.
This has seemingly been the target since Kelso and another bold bid seems assured having gone up just 3 lb for that run.
EACH-WAY
Monbeg Genius improved again when finishing third in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month, holding every chance at the last and sticking to his task well there from there to be beaten only two and a quarter lengths.
That was a huge run for a novice having just his fifth start over fences, more than holding his own in the cut-and-thrust of a top-end handicap with a much bigger field, and the form looks even better now than it did at the time after the winner, Corach Rambler, followed up in last weekend's Grand National at Aintree.
Still relatively unexposed and open to further improvement, Monbeg Genius shapes like this marathon trip will suit and a 5 lb rise in the weights might not be enough to prevent him from giving Jonjo O'Neill a first win in the Scottish National.