White Rose trainers have Ayr ambition

The six-furlong sprint handicap features David Barron’s Gunmetal who has won three from five since joining from Charlie Hills.

The horse turned the Great St Wilfrid at Ripon into a procession last time out and has the class to take on a strong Irish challenge.

Like many, the Thirsk trainer’s biggest fear is the likely heavy going. “I’m petrified about the ground. He has some very good form on fast ground and if he can do the same on heavy ground he must be some horse,” he said.

Another with going fears is Malton trainer Declan Carroll whose Justanotherbottle was agonisingly beaten in a photo finish in the Stewards’ Cup.

“He’s in great form and we’ll take our chance despite the ground. It wouldn’t be his favourite surface, but he hasn’t been on it much and ran all right on it at Doncaster early in the year,” he said.

Richard Fahey was successful in 2015 with the three-year-old Don’t Touch and believes Brian The Snail is the best of his four chances.

“On the Musley Bank gallops he’s one of the best sprinters we’ve got,” said the Malton trainer.

Tim Easterby is another with multiple chances in a race he has surprisingly never won.

“Flying Pursuit likes to roll along up in front and when he runs at York he always tends to run better when he’s on the left-hand side of the track,” said the Great Habton trainer.

“Golden Apollo likes a bit of juice in the ground. I’d like to win it.

“It’s a great race worth good money at a fantastic track.

“We do try to set a few up for it.”