April 18 / 16.15 Ayr

16.15

Soft

Stagecoach Your Designated Driver Novices’ Hurdle (Winners Of One) (GBB Race)

  • Prize money: £10406
  • 2m 5f 91y
  • Class 2
  • 8 runners
RTV
View Course
Stagecoach Your Designated Driver Novices’ Hurdle (Winners Of One) (GBB Race)

Runners: 8 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Light rain

OUR TIP

13/8 (Won)

  • Win: £1.84
  • Place: £1.10

Form: 511 CD

Last run: 67 days

W: 11st 10lb

6 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Easily won a bumper at Listowel (2m4f, yielding) last September and same outcome on hurdle debut here (2m4f, soft) in February on final run for Noel Kelly; leading claims on first outing for Gordon Elliott.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

1

18th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:15 Ayr

Apache Tribe

11st 10lb

J: Danny Gilligan

T: Gordon Elliott

Easily won a bumper at Listowel (2m4f, yielding) last September and same outcome on hurdle debut here (2m4f, soft) in February on final run for Noel Kelly; leading claims on first outing for Gordon Elliott.

13/8

1st

1

10th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 100y

Class 4

14:35 Ayr

Apache Tribe

11st 9lb

J: Mr O McGill

T: Noel C Kelly

Irish point winner in February (3m, yielding; form sound); 16l winner of a Listowel bumper on second rules start (2m4f, yielding; fourth has since won a maiden hurdle); interesting contender on his hurdles debut.

13/8

1st

1

24th Sep 2025

Yielding To Soft

2m 4f 0y

17:33 Listowel

Apache Tribe

12st 0lb

J: Mr O McGill

T: Noel C Kelly

Chase-winning dam has produced four French winners, including the 2018 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris winner On The Go; Oldtown point-to-point winner in February for the influential Denis Murphy before fetching 85,000GBP at Cheltenham sale; can build on a solid bumper debut at Galway; realistic chance of confirming form with Ring Of Kerry and Poetic Glory.

9/4

Form: 31-241 C

Last run: 54 days

W: 11st 10lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Bumper winner (2m1f, good to soft) who got off the mark over hurdles at the third attempt over 2m3f here (soft) in February; he was impressive on that latest outing and is entitled to respect.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

5

18th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:15 Ayr

Stride On

11st 10lb

J: Derek Fox

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Bumper winner (2m1f, good to soft) who got off the mark over hurdles at the third attempt over 2m3f here (soft) in February; he was impressive on that latest outing and is entitled to respect.

9/2

1st

3

23rd Feb 2026

Soft

2m 3f 110y

Class 4

14:25 Ayr

Stride On

11st 9lb

J: Derek Fox

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Bumper winner (2m, good to soft) who kept on for a promising second on hurdle debut here (2m, soft) in November; well-beaten favourite at Carlisle (2m3f, soft) next time but he suffered a wound to his left-fore and he retains potential; could bounce back and play a major role.

4/1

2nd

12

1st Nov 2025

Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

12:48 Ayr

Stride On

11st 0lb

J: Derek Fox

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Out of a half-sister to smart hurdler Mistanoora; built upon promising debut when clearcut winner of Newcastle bumper (good to soft) in January and ought to play another significant role on this hurdling debut.

6/1

11/2

  • Place: £1.50

Form: -53323

Last run: 49 days

W: 11st 5lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 124

Form & Verdict
0-8 but placed in three maiden hurdles in a row (2m-2m5f, soft) prior to 12l third Grade 2 novice at Kelso (2m2f, good to soft) in February when 33-1; receives weight from his main rivals and is firmly in the picture.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

8

18th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:15 Ayr

West Hill Verde

11st 5lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Seamus Mullins

0-8 but placed in three maiden hurdles in a row (2m-2m5f, soft) prior to 12l third Grade 2 novice at Kelso (2m2f, good to soft) in February when 33-1; receives weight from his main rivals and is firmly in the picture.

11/2

3rd

10

28th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 2f 25y

Class 1

14:15 Kelso

West Hill Verde

11st 5lb

J: Sean Houlihan

T: Seamus Mullins

Placed in maiden hurdles on last three starts (2m-2m5f, soft), most recently runner-up at Doncaster; however, looks up against it today.

50/1

Form: 21-16

Last run: 127 days

W: 11st 10lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Runner-up on debut in Listed bumper (2m1f, soft) and won his next two, latterly his hurdle debut at Ffos Las (2m, soft) in November; finished well held in Cheltenham novice (2m1f, good to soft) in December but could be capable of considerably better, with the step up in trip a possible plus.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

4

18th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:15 Ayr

Our Boy Stan

11st 10lb

J: Sean Bowen

T: Ben Pauling

Runner-up on debut in Listed bumper (2m1f, soft) and won his next two, latterly his hurdle debut at Ffos Las (2m, soft) in November; finished well held in Cheltenham novice (2m1f, good to soft) in December but could be capable of considerably better, with the step up in trip a possible plus.

11/2

Form: 5312P

Last run: 42 days

W: 11st 10lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
Pulled up on handicap debut at Sandown (2m4f, soft) last month but that was the competitive EBF Final; promising previously, finishing first at Hereford (2m3f, good to soft) and second at Ascot (2m5f, soft); with a top trainer and could bounce back with a big performance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

2

18th Apr 2026

Soft

2m 5f 91y

Class 2

16:15 Ayr

Laguna Beach

11st 10lb

J: James Bowen

T: Nicky Henderson

Pulled up on handicap debut at Sandown (2m4f, soft) last month but that was the competitive EBF Final; promising previously, finishing first at Hereford (2m3f, good to soft) and second at Ascot (2m5f, soft); with a top trainer and could bounce back with a big performance.

12/1

4

7th Mar 2026

Soft

2m 3f 178y

Class 1

13:50 Sandown

Laguna Beach

11st 11lb

J: Nico de Boinville

T: Nicky Henderson

Hereford win (2m3f, good to soft) worked out well and he might have followed up at Ascot (2m5f, soft) with a more fluent round of jumping; still unexposed and not ruled out.

9/1

2nd

2

17th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 146y

Class 3

16:05 Ascot

Laguna Beach

11st 8lb

J: James Bowen

T: Nicky Henderson

Has shown promise all three starts; was third to a useful rival at Sandown on hurdling debut, and his Hereford win (2m3f, good to soft) last month is already working out well; should be suited by the further step up in distance; yard won this race in 2019 and 2020 (no runners since); big chance.

9/4

Form: 3132 D BF

Last run: 28 days

W: 11st 10lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 62

Last run: 43 days

W: 11st 5lb

5 yo Gelding

OR:

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Form: 2

Last run: 24 days

W: 10st 12lb

6 yo Mare

OR:

Form & Verdict
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price
No Results Found

Non-runners

Leader Crik

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £8.70
Straight Forecast £8.81
Trifecta £28.40

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Apache Tribe

RP RATINGS:

West Hill Verde

LAMBOURN:

Laguna Beach

Daily Mail:

Stride On

The Star:

Queens Secret

Telegraph:

Apache Tribe

D Express:

Apache Tribe

Daily Mirror:

Apache Tribe

The Sun:

Apache Tribe

Daily Record:

Apache Tribe

TOPSPEED:

West Hill Verde

POSTDATA:

West Hill Verde

The Times:

West Hill Verde

The Guardian:

West Hill Verde