Across the country to Ayr with Katie & Kerr

Or, Side of the Road and Keyboard Gangster to call the pair by their racing names.

We hummed and hawed but in the end we chose this engagement for Side of the Road rather than the 2m 1f handicap hurdle at Sedgefield on Sunday. The Beneficial mare has run fairly well at Ayr previously, and is probably suited by a flat, galloping track so tomorrow at Ayr it is, and the 2m 3f mares' handicap hurdle.

On bare form, she'll have to improve a wee bit to be competitive but she is progressing, albeit at a steady rate. We still think being dropped a few pounds by the handicapper would help.
Nicky's top weight Coakley Beck does look thrown in on handicap debut with OR102, and this bumper winner will be the likely favourite.
The jockey bookings of Brian Hughes and James Bowen catch the eye for a couple of Irish raiders - Celca Trova and Sultana Belle, who both would qualify for veteran races. None of the others can be discounted, so low-ish grade but it promises to be fair event.

Side of the Road leads tomorrow's travelling companion Keyboard Gangster in an early season gallop

For a horse who has just turned 7 years of age, Keyboard Gangster does not have a lot racing experience, that being limited to a couple of outings in bumpers. The last of these was a 6th place in a hot bumper at Ayr's Scottish National meeting in April. The race was one of those good quality bumpers from which a whole host of winning and/or impressive performances have cropped up since, the most recent being 4th placed Aye Aye Charlies 3rd place in a Grade 2 hurdle last Saturday.
Of course our gelding will have to jump slickly, and although he has pleased in his schooling, you can never predict just how fluent a horse will be first time over hurdles.

And of the 3 of the 4 at the top of the betting, Nicky's Uncle Alastair has very good form to date, adding 2 hurdle victories to a couple of bumper wins. There are 2 other previous winners in the field - the 18 times raced 6 year old Bulkov and GNWTR's Irish Point winner Saint Freule. Kinneston Nick runs a couple of horses against us - this almost goes without saying these days - and daughter Lucy is on the selected of the two, Eagle Ridge (Irish Point runner up).
All of these four horses have shown their best jumping form at distances in excess of 2 miles (tomorrow's trip) but do have that very important jumping experience under their belts.

If Keyboard Gangster jumps well, acts on heavy and behaves himself he could well be in the 3 - but note that with 7 horses each way only pays 1,2.

Keyboard Gangster in a recent gallop with the grey Bluefortytwo

Best of luck to Mouse and the rest of the connections, with Callum in the saddle for both. The advance going is heavy.