THE RACING world turns its attention to the windswept west of Scotland this weekend for Ayr’s feature Western meeting with Europe’s richest sprint handicap attracting the most viewing.  Twenty-eight runners will line up to thunder down the straight 6f course and luck in running will be a big factor for the eventual winner.  A flood of money has come for last year’s runner-up Borderlescott after connections bagged the highest draw. However my selection is on the complete opposite side of the track.  Zomerlust put up a very decent effort when winning a valuable event at York two starts back before running a cracker to finish 6^th in the Great St. Wilfred at Ripon on ground slightly too quick for him.  There’s enough pace on this side for this hold up performer and with the going likely to be soft at best he could surprise a few people, at least by running into a place.  The two-year-olds feature prominently again this week in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.  Not a cracking renewal of this race, that was won last year by the subsequent Group 1 winner Excellent Art, but Dark Angel may triumph on a return to 6f.  Outpaced over 5f last time, this son of Acclamation has shown all his best form at this distance.  His 4^th place in the July Stakes gives him a form advantage over Strike The Deal and he has finished in front of his other opponents on other occasions.  Provided he gives his true running he should be hard to beat.  Newmarket fetes a racing great this Saturday with Lester Piggott day.  The main race celebrates his association with one of the greatest horses ever seen, Nijinsky.  In this, Sir Michael Stoute’s Lang Shining can scoop the pot.  This progressive son of Dr Fong was a neck 2^nd last time out in a competitive Sandown handicap and the step up in trip from 1m should suit him well.

Selections: 2.35 Newbury, 3 Dark Angel

                                                                     3.55Newmarket, 3 Lang Shining