Horse Racing Tips: Donnacha miss Hawke's ace at Ayr

Ayr, 15.30 - Back Donnacha @ 2/13.00

I'm not a huge proponent of the 'longest traveller' system, but the trek from Tiverton on the edge of Exmoor to the west of Scotland wouldn't be one to take lightly!

A near 900-mile round trip would only be undertaken if conditions are ideal and Donnacha should find the ground to his liking if the forecast rain materialises.

Sadly for connections, hopes of running at the Cheltenham Festival evaporated like the moisture from the Prestbury Park turf as the confirmed soft-ground lover was ruled out the week before the meeting in March.

Hopefully, trainer Nigel Hawke's patience will be rewarded as the eight-year-old is a very useful chaser with ease underfoot as he proved on Trials Day at Cheltenham when defeating Jagwar by a head.

He has the opportunity to take another sizeable step forward in a career on the up and the fact he is fresh and has missed the other spring festivals could be a major positive.

Ayr, 17.15 - Back Balboa each-way @ 11/112.00

Essentially, it has been a rather low-key season for Wiltshire handler Seamus Mullins with just 11 winners at the time of writing.

However, a trio of those successes have been achieved in April, while he also sent out runners-up at 14/1 and 20/1 to confirm the resurgence in the yard's fortunes.

That data reflects positively for the chances of Balboa who contests the closing 'Hands & Heels' handicap which is confined to conditional and amateur riders.

With just one victory from 27 career starts - achieved over hurdles in October 2023 at Chepstow - the Mondialiste gelding could hardly be described as a winning machine, but his latest effort at Wincanton (9th has won since from just two subsequent runners) did at least confirm he is in good form and the conditions of this race could suit a horse of his profile.

The booking of the promising Jack Stenhouse is also encouraging as the young amateur has been seen to good effect this season on the likes of Bataillon and Keable for his retained stable of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and looks a rider going places.

It could also be pertinent that the selection has already finished runner-up at this meeting two years ago when a fine second as a four-year-old to Primoz in the two-mile 0-130 handicap with the likes of Slugger, The Kalooki Kid and Phantomofthepoints all in arrears.

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