Jack is an interpid wager

Punters should look no further than Intrepid Jack when finding a solution to the totesport Ayr Gold Cup at the Scottish track next Saturday.

Hughie Morrison’s charge has already been the subject of significant support in the ante-post market and looks well primed to be testing his rivals north of the border.

The six-furlong dash has always been on the agenda for the son of Compton Place since he caught the eye finishing runner-up behind Tax Free in the William Hill Trophy at York in August.

Despite being handed a dreadful draw, Steve Drowne was always handy aboard Intrepid Jack and was only outpointed by a neck on good ground.

What is more, Morrison’s colt held all the aces entering the final furlong and may have even won the race had Drowne not dropped his whip when it mattered in the closing stages.

Never one to dream of what could have been, Morrison has a prime opportunity of atoning for that setback next weekend.

After floundering over a mile on heavy ground on his racecourse debut at Newbury last October, the three-year-old has since been a revelation for his wily handler over shorter distances.

A morale-boosting victory on the all-weather last season was consolidated upon by back-to-back wins at Newbury and Haydock in May.

There was also much to like about his fourth-placed finish behind Gimasha at Windsor on his first run back after a break.

Indeed, that form was emphatically reversed in the William Hill Trophy as Gimasha finished 11th to galvanise the theory Morrison’s charge needed the run when the pair met on their previous outing.

Gift Horse’s withdrawal has not weakened David Nicholls’s hand in the race and he should still be troubling the judge with the likes of Ice Planet, Continent and last year’s winner, Funfair Wane.

However, the progressive Intrepid Jack, currently trading at a best price of 10-1 with Ladbrokes, should have more speed than the rest of them, and is taken to outmuscle his rivals by winning the Scottish feature.