Saturday ante-post tips: a poignant victory looks likely

Andrew Balding has already won the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes during his training career, but he will be especially keen to win it again this year as the race is officially staged in honour of his late father Ian, trainer of Mill Reef, who died in January.

He looks to have a strong chance, too, as his only entry is the Wootton Bassett filly JOLIVETTE, last seen finishing third behind Libertango in the Lowther Stakes at York four weeks ago.

A half-sister to stablemate Jonquil, who won the Greenham Stakes at this track last year before winning the Celebration Mile, the blue-blooded filly has been progressive this summer despite not having won since scoring at the first attempt at Newmarket in May.

A ninth in the Albany was followed by a fifth in a red-hot renewal of the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, won by the high-class Senorita Bonita, who has since landed the Prix Morny by four lengths. The form could not have worked out much better.

Not only did runner-up Libertango then win on the Knavesmire last month, the third-placed Alwaysanangel has also won her only subsequent start, whilst the sixth and seventh-placed fillies have also won since.

The juvenile fillies look much stronger than the colts at this stage of the season to my mind, and though Arapaho Gold is currently odds-on for this race, he would have to carry a penalty for his Gimcrack win. Jolivette makes stronger appeal in receipt of 6lb.

If the weather forecast is anything to go by, the ground at Ayr on Saturday is likely to have the word soft in the description, and that will definitely suit the Ayr Gold Cup top weight SPYCATCHER.

He has never run at Ayr before, but he has some high-class form in the book, particularly on testing ground. A strong traveller, he may have needed the run when seventh in the Garrowby Stakes at York just over a week ago and, though he was disappointing on his only other two starts this season, he has previously won impressively in Group Three and Listed company in very soft and heavy ground over this trip.

This would be his first start in a handicap for over three years and he has dropped 4lb to a very fair 107.

His yard remains in top form and this likely strong pace on softer ground could well seem return to the winners' enclosure. He looks overpriced at the current 25-1.

back JOLIVETTE at 11-4

back SPYCATCHER at 25-1