18th-Sept-2021

Bielsa has a big chance in the Ayr Gold Cup.  It is probable that he has been trained with today in mind for a while, possibly since this day last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he were to put up a career-best performance today. 

He ran well in the race last year, a race that his trainer Kevin Ryan has won three times in the last 10 years.  He ran better than his finishing position in ninth place suggests, given that he was marooned a little on the near side as the race developed middle to far side.  And he confirmed that he could operate well at Ayr when he finished second to Commanche Falls in a handicap over today’s course and distance on his debut this season.

Commanche Falls has progressed since then, Michael Dods’ horse won the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood last time, but Bielsa meets him on 19lb better terms compared to when they met in April, and that gives him a big chance of reversing placings.

Bielsa finished sixth in that Stewards’ Cup, less than three lengths behind the winner and, again, he can be marked up on the bare form of that run, given that he raced in the centre, marooned on his own between the stands-side group and the far side group, and he wasn’t helped when Great Ambassador moved across him inside the final furlong.

He should come on for that, it should have brought him forward nicely with today in mind.  His high draw is not ideal, but that is factored into his odds, and the fact that Kevin Stott is back on board is a positive.  He has won on Bielsa four times from just seven attempts, and nobody else has won on him. 

BIELSA WON (ADV 10/1, SP 15/2)