THE first evening meeting of the spring arrives at Ayr Racecourse on May 14, with a competitive six-race card on offer for punters heading to the course. 

Racing gets under way at 6.30pm with an eight-runner maiden fillies’ stakes in class five before rounding off at 9pm with a class six handicap. 

The first race of the evening (6.30pm) is over the six-furlong trip at Ayr and preference is for interesting newcomer Melon Twist, purchased for £110,000 as a yearling and is closely-related to a handy winner in Enough Already for trainer Karl Burke.

Rawaasi is also of interest for the Simon and Ed Crisford yard; she is lightly-raced for a three-year-old but could be the pick on form, having placed in four of her last five starts. 

Race two (7pm) sees only one of the 11 runners arrive in any sort of form and that is Busby, trained by Philip Kirby.

The nine-year-old hasn’t won in 12 starts but was a handy third of 12 in a Newcastle handicap last time out on April 8, and should end his losing run in what is a very weak race. 

Seven runners will tackle race three (7.30pm) which is a class three handicap over the six furlong distance.

Preference is for the Linda Perratt-trained The Caltonian, who was brought down when clipping heels on last run at Newcastle but was well in contention before that, following up a second at the same track on the all-weather and is switched to the turf here.

The main challenge can come from Slainte Mhath, who has hit the frame in two of his three prior starts. 

Race four (8pm) is a nine-runner class four handicap over seven furlongs.

Trained by Jim Goldie, Kelpie Grey makes plenty of appeal being on an upward curve, landing a career-best when scoring at Musselburgh 11 days ago.

Another who is on the shortlist is Orbaan, who has run in better company than this previously and returned to action this season with a respectable sixth of 12 at Southwell on April 11. 

The fifth race of the evening card (8.30pm) sees a large field of 14 head to the stalls for the 7f handicap in class six.

Of the runners, Highfield Viking looks to set the standard, third of nine in a Catterick handicap a fortnight ago and a Thirsk winner to boot in April.

Darbucks hasn’t won since 2022 but was a decent third at Doncaster when last seen, while Zebra Star also enters calculations having scored over course and distance on his last run 12 days ago. 

The final race of the evening brings the card to a close at 9pm and seven runners are set to head to the stalls for the 1m6f handicap in class five.

The Jim Goldie-trained Tafsir should be prominent having finished second over course and distance two runs back, while the consistent Billy Bathgate can be there or thereabouts arriving off the back of a decent third at Ayr on his previous run. 

Ayr selections - Tuesday (via Grosvenor Sport)

  • 6.30 - Melon Twist
  • 7.00 - Busby
  • 7.30 - The Caltonian
  • 8.00 - Kelpie Grey
  • 8.30 - Highfield Viking
  • 9.00 - Tafsir