Today's Racing Tips: Back Boy to bust his losing streak at Ayr and consider these two weekend bets

• The time has come for Busty to puff his chest out

• Jagwar poised to pounce in Paddy Power

• Sunday Prayers could be Answered at Fontwell

Ayr, 13.15 - Busty Boy each-way @ 5/16.00

The excuse manual has been well thumbed when it comes to explaining Busty Boy's recent defeats, but the eight-year-old made a pleasing return at Carlisle last month and could be ready to end a frustrating sequence of near misses here.

The form of that Carlisle handicap took a handsome endorsement when winner Hello Judge followed up in style off a revised mark at Hexham, winning cosily to earn another 3lb rise.

Busty Boy came to win that Carlisle event, jumping to the front at the second last fence before his track-loving rival, winning for the fifth time at the Cumbrian venue, kept on bravely halfway up the run-in to wrestle the prize from the selection's grasp.

While near misses are a stock-in-trade for Daragh Bourke's gelding, he does at least perform well on deep ground and has shown that he can be effective at Ayr so he may finally be ready to gain some compensation for a series of consistent efforts. Check in the village for prices as he would ideally be an each-way bet in a perfect world.

Saturday, Cheltenham 14.20 - Back Jagwar @ 4/15.00

There are certainly no prizes for selecting Jagwar to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup given he has been fancied for many for one of the season's marquee events for some time.

The prospect of 30ml of rain on Friday is going to leave Presbury Park vulnerable to a significant going change by the weekend, but deep ground should be no concern to the Karaktar gelding who has won both of his starts at the track and looks capable of defying a 9lb rise in the handicap for his festival victory in March.

Not for the first time, Jagwar looked like he won with plenty in hand that day, dossing on the run-in with the race in safe keeping.

He obviously holds a little back for himself, but that keeps him ahead of the assessor and, with at least four likely pace angles in against him on Saturday, there should be a generous gallop to aim at late on.

His data from the TrustATrader Plate win in March was largely exemplary with the selection boasting the quickest finishing speed and lengths gained jumping data according to RaceIQ.

While that wasn't necessarily a huge surprise in itself, his recovery time at his fences also topped the charts and his overall jump index of 8.3 (out of 10) was another indication he is very much the package over fences.

Saturday, Cheltenham 13.10 or Sunday, Fontwell 14.05 - Back Unanswered Prayers each-way

I wrote recently about the merits of Unanswered Prayers and how well he had run on his comeback at Cheltenham at the Showcase meeting where a standing start did him no favours.

The nine-year-old still managed to excel by finishing fifth, topping plenty of RaceIQ data in the process, not least the jump index rating which at 8.7 (out of 10) was a fine performance.

He also gained 14 lengths on his rivals during the race and lost less speed at his fences than his adversaries so must surely have been involved more in the finish had he not been left in rear from the standing start.

Trainer Chris Gordon - who has sent out 12 winners from his last 35 runners since the beginning of September - has made two entries this weekend for Unanswered Prayers and it would be no huge surprise to see him head to Fontwell to defend his crown in the Southern National.

Wherever he runs, he'll be carrying a couple of my shillings.

Now read Katie Midwinter's latest tips here