Lungo's Ace Is Flying High

Jul 6 2008 By Gordon Brown

IT'S Ayr's sole Sunday meeting of the year and the popular seaside course is celebrating in some style.

Totesport Family Day will provide a host of fun things to do and as a bonus visitors from the RAF will drop in to show off a variety of skills.

Back to earth, though, and AGAINST THE GRAIN (4.50) is fancied to win the feature race for Borders trainer Len Lungo (right) and jockey Paul Hanagan.

The Dumfriesshire raider sprung a 25-1 shock at Donny on Lincoln day before finally finishing a one-paced fourth at Newcastle last Saturday.

Stepping back up to a mile should see him go mighty close and I rate Jim Goldie's pair Wind Shuffle and Esoterica as his main dangers.

In the opener MANDALAY KING (2.20) makes a quick reappearance after winning for the first time in his life at Redcar last Thursday night.

In-form Royston Ffrench (right) takes over from young Kelly Harrison on the bottomweight who is unpenalised for his initial strike as it was an apprentice event.

Ffrench also has an excellent chance of success aboard APACHE NATION (3.20) who is back on a winning mark for a contest in which Lungo's successful hurdler Border Fox also catches the eye.

Champion apprentice Greg Fairley struck on BIJOU DAN (3.50) at Catterick and the pair can make it a quick double in the staying handicap.

EARLSMEDIC (4.50) could hold the key in a trappy race and any market move for Stuart Williams' Newmarket challenger should be noted.