Setting the Scene: A Proper Stayers' Showdown at Ayr
Right then, pull up a stool and listen close, because this is one of those races that deserves a bit more respect than it tends to get from the southern racing press. The Loud Hire Staging Bath Summer Stayers' Series Final — yes, that's a mouthful, but bear with me — lands at Ayr on Sunday the 13th of September 2026 at 15:15, and it's a genuine £40,000 Class 2 prize up for grabs over a mile and six furlongs. These horses have earned their place here through qualifying runs across the summer, so this isn't a field of dossers lobbed in on a wing and a prayer. Every single one of these lads — and lasses — has done something right to get here.
The going is reported as Good, Good to Firm in places, with the straight course riding Good all over. For a stayers' contest, that's lively enough ground. You want to be looking at horses who travel through their race rather than grind it out, because on this kind of surface there'll be no hiding place for a plodder who needs it deep and testing. Keep that in mind as we go through the field.
Thirteen runners will go to post — Corsican Caper has been declared a non-runner — and the draw across a field of this size over that trip at Ayr is less of a lottery than it might be over shorter distances. The stiff finish here will sort the stayers from the pretenders. Right, let's get stuck in.
Contender-by-Contender Breakdown
Taritino (9-12, Draw 4)
Top weight Taritino heads the market on ratings at OR 75, and you can see why connections have targeted this race — he's a course and distance winner, which at Ayr over a mile and six is about as relevant a form flag as you'll find. Trained by Joe Tickle and ridden by Taylor Fisher, this six-year-old gelding is the one everyone else has to beat. Carrying 9-12 is no joke, mind you, and on ground that's on the quicker side, that weight could bite him late up the run-in. Fisher is a capable operator and will know this horse inside out by now. If he travels sweetly and gets a kind lead, he's the one to beat. But at the top of the weights, I want a bit more value before I'm filling my boots.
Boilermaker (9-3, Draw 5)
Now here's where it gets interesting. Boilermaker is only a three-year-old — the youngest in the field by a year — trained by Harry Charlton and ridden by the classy Luke Morris. He's a distance winner and gets in off a rating of 74, carrying just 9-3. The age allowance is a factor here, and Charlton is a trainer who knows how to place a horse. A three-year-old getting weight from the older horses in a stayers' final on decent ground? That's a combination I find very hard to ignore. Morris will ride him cold and let him pick them off. This is my each-way flag right here.
Curran (9-9, Draw 12)
Rod Millman's Curran is a five-year-old with both course and distance form, ridden by Charlie Tucker. Draw 12 out of 13 runners isn't ideal, but over a mile and six at Ayr it's not the disaster it might be over a sprint trip. Millman is a canny handler who rarely sends one to a series final without a proper chance, and Tucker is a jockey who can organise a stayer beautifully. OR 72 and 9-9 on the back means he's not getting buried under the weights. A genuine each-way contender.
Belle of Kt (9-7, Draw 8)
Belle of Kt is the most interesting of the mares in the field. Trained by J.S. Moore and ridden by Millie Wonnacott, she's a course and distance winner at OR 70 carrying 9-7. Wonnacott is a rider on the rise and she'll give this mare every chance. The middle draw suits, and a mare who's already won over course and distance has clearly taken to Ayr. Don't dismiss her — she could easily run into a place at a decent price.
Percy Jones (9-7, Draw 7)
Seven-year-old Percy Jones is a distance winner but notably lacks the course form that several rivals carry. Trained by Mark Loughnane and partnered by Paddy Bradley, he's a solid stayer who'll stay every yard of the mile and six. Bradley is a rider with plenty of experience and he'll get a tune out of him. That said, without the Ayr tick in the box, he's one I'd want to see at a price before committing.
Lusaka (9-2, Draw 2)
Eight-year-old Lusaka catches the eye wearing a hood for the John & Rhys Flint yard. He's a course and distance winner off a lowly OR 65, and the hood suggests connections are trying to get him to switch off and conserve energy. From draw 2 he could get a lovely rail-hugging run. At the weights he looks well in, and if the hood does the trick, he's a lively outsider. Worth a small each-way interest at big prices.
Going and Draw: What Does It Mean for This Race?
As I mentioned, Good to Firm in places is the order of the day. Over a mile and six, this puts a premium on horses who are comfortable travelling rather than grinding. Boilermaker, as a lightly-raced three-year-old, should relish this kind of surface — younger horses tend to handle quicker ground better than the old brigade who've had their legs tested season after season.
The draw, as I say, is less of a science over this trip. Middle to low draws have a marginal advantage in that they can get a position early without burning energy, but it's no death sentence to be drawn wide. Curran at 12 is the widest of the main fancies, but Morris on Boilermaker at 5 and Taritino at 4 are both nicely positioned to dictate from the front if needed. Check out the full Ayr racecard for the latest market moves before you commit.
Value Picks and Dangers
My value pick is Boilermaker — a three-year-old with a serious trainer and a top jockey in Luke Morris, getting weight from older rivals on ground that suits a lightly-raced, athletic type. Harry Charlton doesn't run horses in £40k series finals for the craic. There's intent here.
The danger I most respect is Taritino. Course and distance form at the top of the weights is a formidable combination, and if Fisher gets an easy lead, he could simply ping from the front and never be caught. I just want a bit more juice in the price before I'm on him at 9-12.
- Boilermaker — Each-way bet, value pick
- Taritino — Respect, but needs a price
- Curran — Solid each-way alternative
- Lusaka — Speculative outsider with the hood on
Tom's Verdict: The Tip
I'm going BOILERMAKER as my selection. A three-year-old with a distance win already under his belt, trained by one of the sharpest operators in the south in Harry Charlton, and with Luke Morris — a man who could ride a carthorse to a place — in the saddle. He gets a favourable weight relative to the older horses, he's drawn bang in the middle, and the Good to Firm ground should see him travel kindly through the race before Morris produces him with a well-timed run. This is a horse with upside that the older handicappers in this field simply don't have. Each-way at whatever price the bookies are offering.
If you're looking for a safer saver, Curran for Rod Millman each-way won't embarrass you. And keep a small interest in Lusaka — if that hood works, he could be a 20/1 shot running into a place and making you look very clever indeed.
Good luck at Ayr on Sunday. May your selections travel sweetly and your bookmaker weep into his pint.
Who Is the Favourite for the Bath Summer Stayers' Series Final Handicap Stakes at Ayr?
Based on ratings, Taritino heads the field on an official rating of 75, carrying top weight of 9-12. He's the logical market leader given his course and distance form at Ayr. However, the betting market may tell a different story closer to race time, so keep an eye on the Ayr racecard for the latest market moves on Sunday morning.
Is the Draw Important in the Bath Summer Stayers' Series Final at Ayr?
Over a mile and six furlongs at Ayr, the draw is far less significant than it would be over a sprint distance. Horses have plenty of time to find their position, and the stiff Ayr finish rewards stamina and tactics over positional advantage from the gate. That said, low-to-middle draws like Boilermaker (5) and Taritino (4) give their riders options without burning unnecessary energy in the early stages.
Can a Three-Year-Old Win the Bath Summer Stayers' Series Final?
Absolutely, and it's happened before in staying handicaps of this nature. A three-year-old like Boilermaker gets a meaningful weight allowance versus the older horses, and on Good to Firm ground — which suits younger, athletic types — the age can be an advantage rather than a concern. Harry Charlton is not a trainer who runs horses out of their depth, and Luke Morris is exactly the kind of jockey you want on a young stayer who needs to be produced with patience.
