Paul Kealy happy to take on Irish favourite in Ayr handicap

1.50 Ayr
1pt each-way at 14-1 with firms paying four places

There seems to be an air of defeatism in some quarters when an Irish horse rocks up for a decent prize in Britain, and while that's at least half understandable given what happened at Cheltenham and in the Grand National, people can get carried away.

Given the improvement shown by The Shunter this season, there's every chance his stablemate Pilbara is better than he has shown so far over hurdles and fences but he is going to need to be because he is a long way from the best-handicapped horse on bare form.