Betting suggestions for a busy Friday Fozzy Stack’s Aussie Girl is the sole Irish representative on the second day of Ayr’s Gold Cup Festival today. She will be partnered by regular pilot Joey Sheridan when she contests the Fillies & Mares Listed race at 2.50pm and looks to have solid claims. The consistent daughter of Starspangledbanner has upped her game this season and has finished in the first two places on each of her last six starts including at Group level last time out. Dropping slightly in grade here and with ground conditions likely to suit it’s hard to see her out of the frame and she looks worthy of an each-way investment. Leading bookmakers BoyleSports are offering new and existing customers money back as a free bet if their selection finishes second to the SP favourite in any race at Ayr today or tomorrow. Click on the below advertisement to read the full terms and conditions for this offer. Champion National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins will have his first runner at Newton Abbot today when he sends over the Paul Byrne-owned Alvaniy to contest a Novices’ Hurdles. The five-year-old was a ready winner of his maiden hurdle at Galway 12 days ago when ridden by today’s partner Brian Hayes. The pair will be stepping up considerably in distance for today’s assignment, but can be expected to take that in their stride and another victory looks on the cards. Today also sees the penultimate day of action at the week long Harvest Festival at Listowel and this National Hunt card looks the most competitive of the week so far. The 18 runner €100,000 Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle is the feature event of the day and it may pay to side with Paul Fahey’s Man O Work to take advantage of his light weight. Man O Work has run well in some big-field handicaps in the past and is likely to be spot-on for this contest after a pleasing return to action on the Flat at Tramore where he finished second to the useful Filey Bay in a Lady Riders’ race. There is also action on the Flat at Dundalk this evening and a return to the all-weather surface could see an upswing in the fortunes of Conor O’Dywer’s Barretstown. The five-year-old’s only two previous career victories came at this course and he returns to the venue on a handicap mark one pound below his latest win here in February. Barretstown is reunited with top rider Billy Lee for this evening’s race and has a good draw to work with having been allotted stall 2. Elsewhere on the Dundalk card it will be disappointing if Aidan O’Brien’s two-year-old Alabama doesn’t finally shed his maiden tag in the opening race. Alabama has raced six times so far without success, but the last four of those efforts have been at Listed level at tracks such as the Curragh, York and Ascot. Dropping back to maiden company here the son of No Nay Never, whose progeny do well on a synthetic surface, should have too much class and experience for today’s opposition.
