Today’s Horse Racing Tip – 2:05 Ayr 20 April

Today’s free horse racing tip runs in the Ayrshire Magazine Novices’ Hurdle at 2:05 Ayr. This  five-runner Class 3 contest is run over two miles and the finishers will jump nine hurdles.

Seamus Mullins-trained Arthington will take all the beating now he’s dropped to a suitable distance. The five-year-old was tried over a much longer trip in a very competitive handicap at Cheltenham Festival where he shaped well before running out of steam between the final two hurdles.

Previously, the gelding had been racing around two miles in distance, finishing in the first two in all six hurdles races and clocking up wins at Stratford, Plumpton and Leicester. He was a winner in this grade at Leicester in December and was unlucky when finishing second after being hampered in his Festival prep race at Sandown in February.

Regular jockey Kevin Jones gets a 5lb allowance and Arthington is the selection for today’s horse racing prediction.

Paul Nicholls saddles Brahms De Clermont and this French-bred has claims on the strength of two wins at Taunton at the back end of last year. The seven-year-old was found wanting in a Class 2 hurdle at Sandown in February and has since been given a run in a bumper to keep him ticking over.

A more dangerous challenge could come from Fin And Game who has won three out of three hurdles races this year. The six-year-old is stepping up a level today but the manner of his victories  suggest there may be scope for improvement.

Alan King’s Deyrann De Carjac is largely unexposed. The five-year-old showed some promise when third in the latest of two runs in bumpers and gave a good account when finishing third to Kalashnikov on his hurdling debut at Doncaster in December. He was well held that day but the winner has since gone on to win the Grade 3 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and was narrowly beaten in the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham.

Completing the lineup is Ian Duncan-trained Biennial. The six-year-old has shown little promise since moving from Andrew McNamara’s yard last year and appears to be out of depth in this company.

The going at Ayr today is good to soft, good in places. The weather forecast is cloudy with sunny spells and a light south-westerly breeze.

Despite only five runners, there are some interesting candidates and this could develop into a competitive race. Arthington has been a model of consistency over hurdles and the run at Cheltenham last time was a lot better than it looks on paper. Dropping back to two miles is in his favour and Seamus Mullins’ gelding is our horse racing tip today.