Cheltenham Festival winner makes chasing debut and Haggas eyeing more Lingfield success - Wednesday's punting pointers

Punting pointers from each of today's race meetings . . .

Ayr: Scottish National hero Mullins returns

Danny Mullins returns to Ayr for the first time since winning the Scottish Grand National on Macdermott, which all but sealed the British trainers' championship for the rider's uncle Willie.

That success in the track's biggest jumps race remains Mullins' only winner from ten rides at the course but he has an excellent chance of improving that record in 2m4½f novice handicap chase (12.45).

Mullins partners Step Out for the first time in the opener primarily because Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's retained rider Daryl Jacob and trainer Stuart Crawford's regular jockey JJ Slevin are injured.

Step Out beat subsequent Cheltenham winner Intense Approach when getting off the mark over hurdles at the fifth attempt at Downpatrick in August but managed only fifth when sent off the 15-8 favourite at this venue last time. Mullins also rides Crawford’s Kinbara Firstdraft in the 2m4½f handicap hurdle (2.50).

Step Out12:45 Ayr

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Jky: Danny Mullins Tnr: S R B Crawford

Kinbara Firstdraft14:50 Ayr

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Jky: Danny Mullins Tnr: S R B Crawford

Ayr: Ian Duncan

Ian Duncan enjoyed a 231-1 double at Ayr last month and bids to boost his 2-4 record at the course this season with Cave Hill in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle (1.45) and Jack Dempsey in the bumper (3.25).

Bangor: Cheltenham and Punchestown festival winners make chase debuts

Bangor’s Listed 2m1½f mares’ novice chase (12.55) features Irish representation from Gordon Elliott’s four-timer-seeking Shecouldbeanything and Space Tourist for Willie Mullins, whose only previous runner at the track was successful in September.

The home challenge is strong courtesy of Punchestown festival winner Casa No Mento, who will need to bounce back from being pulled up by Sam Twiston-Davies at Kempton last month and now makes her chasing debut.

You Wear It Well makes her first appearance over fences and her trainer Jamie Snowden said: “She won at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 and began last season with a Listed win, but it was a disjointed campaign with the weather even though she ran well in defeat. She's schooled well over fences.”

Dan Skelton won this £40,000 event with Galia Des Liteaux the last time it was staged in 2022 and runs West Balboa, who finished a place behind Monday’s Kempton winner Ilovethenightlife when fourth at Worcester.

Skelton said: “I was a little bit frustrated with her first run over fences but that was my fault – I thought I had her fitter than she was and she got tired in the closing stages and made two mistakes.”

You Wear It Well12:55 Bangor-on-Dee

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Jky: Gavin Sheehan Tnr: Jamie Snowden

West Balboa12:55 Bangor-on-Dee

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Jky: Harry Skelton Tnr: Dan Skelton

Bangor: Jennie Candlish

Jennie Candlish has saddled four winners from her last ten jumps runners. Her sole representative is course scorer Cheddleton in the 2m3½f handicap hurdle (3.35).

Cheddleton15:35 Bangor-on-Dee

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Jky: Sean Quinlan Tnr: Jennie Candlish

Dundalk: can course-and-distance winner follow up recent victory?

Make Clear returns to the same track and trip as her successful stable debut for Peter McCreery to contest Dundalk’s opening 5f handicap (2.00).

The four-year-old made an instant impact for McCreery to land a 13-runner handicap in April having been bought for 7,000gns from Robert Cowell.

She returned to winning ways at Lingfield when last seen in August and returns off a 4lb higher mark. She is ridden by Leigh Roche for the first time.

My Girl Sioux also bids for back-to-back wins having scored over course and distance 12 days ago. Jimmy Dalton’s claim means she is only 2lb worse off.

Make Clear14:00 Dundalk (A.W)

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Jky: Leigh Roche Tnr: Peter McCreery

Lingfield: more Haggas domination in Listed races?

William Haggas has dominated the two Listed races on Lingfield's nine-race card in recent years and he is represented by a runner in each contest.

Billy Loughnane will hope to ride a first winner for Haggas at the tenth attempt aboard Sea Theme in the BetMGM River Eden EBF Fillies' Stakes (2.07), a race the Newmarket trainer has won in four of the last seven runnings including with Safety Catch last year.

Haggas has won the BetMGM Fleur De Lys EBF Fillies' Stakes (2.40) four times since 2016 and his four-year-old Doom, who was third at Royal Ascot and chased home subsequent Group 1 winner Friendly Soul at the same course in July, reverts to the same grade that yielded her last success.

Southwell: Prescott juvenile bids to maintain unbeaten record

Immediate Effect has been one of Sir Mark’s Prescott’s three juvenile winners on the all-weather in Britain this season and the son of Study Of Man bids to follow up last month’s successful debut at Wolverhampton in Southwell’s 7f novice (4.30).

The form of the two-year-old’s neck success over Flagon Dry was franked by the runner-up winning next time.

Rhys Clutterbuck rode his first winner for Prescott on Immediate Effect at Wolverhampton and is rewarded by keeping the ride.