Plenty of backers will look no further than William Haggas’s lightly-raced Khanjar, the favourite at around 9-2, in Saturday’s Ayr Gold Cup, but he was beaten in a big field off a 6lb lower mark in July and has done all his winning on good-to-firm or firm ground.
As a result, he looks at least a couple of points too short for what is always one of the season’s most competitive sprint handicaps, and Fivethousandtoone, a recent winner in a strong time, and Motagally, fourth off a 4lb higher mark last year, both have each-way appeal at around 14-1.
