3.35 Ayr, Monday, July 16

North Yorkshire trainer Roger Fell is in decent form at present, with a 6-19 (32%) strike rate in the last 14 days, and may be able to improve that record with Zylan in the Polyflor Handicap (3.35) at Ayr on Monday. The son of top-class sprinter Kyllachy had no answer to Exprompt in the closing stages at Hamilton last time, but only succumbed in the last hundred yards, on the severe hill to the finish, at the South Lanarkshire course and may be better suited by this less rigorous test of stamina. The third horse home that day, Red Force One, was only beaten two necks in a 0-80 lady amateur riders’ handicap at Chester on Friday, which augurs well for Zylan as he steps back up into 0-85 company.

In fact, the six-year-old won in this grade, over 6 furlongs at Southwell, off a handicap mark of 83 in April, so he should be competitive off a mark of 80, especially with Conor Murtagh taking off a useful 5lb. Zylan has been campaigned, at least until recently, over sprint distances this season, but showed when winning over 7½ furlongs at Beverley on his penultimate start that this sort of distance, especially on a flat track, is well within his compass. He’s drawn in the outside stall but one, which should, theoretically, put him at a disadvantage running around a tight left hand bend but, paradoxically, this doesn’t appear to be the case at Ayr.

Selection: Ayr 3.35 Zylan to win 10/3

3.50 Thirsk, Wednesday, July 4

In the Follow @Racing_UK on Twitter Handicap (3.50) at Thirsk on Wednesday, Aljady won at Redcar 11 days ago despite hanging badly left in the closing stages and seems sure to be popular on his first venture into handicap company. However, preference on this occasion is for the proven form of Muscika, who won a 0-85 contest at Ayr in taking style on his penultimate start, before just being touched off, after being denied a clear run, off his revised mark in a 0-90 contest at Nottingham three weeks ago.

The Kyllachy gelding needed a couple of runs to find his form, following wind surgery earlier in the year, but his Nottingham effort was about his best yet and he can confirm the form with the third, Red Pike, despite being 4lb worse off for 2½ lengths. A winner over course and distance on his debut for David O’Meara early last season, Muscika has shown his best form on good or faster going – including on firm going at Nottingham last time – so he shouldn’t be unduly inconvenienced if the sun continues to beat down on the North Yorkshire course and he has the best of the draw, in stall 8.

Muscika had just two runs as a juvenile for Richard Hannon and, after what is best described as an “educational” three-year-old campaign – during which he won twice, despite obvious signs of immaturity – is starting to fulfil his potential as a sprinter.

Selection: Thirsk 3.50 Muscika to win 9/2