Tag: Al Co

Ayr Scottish Grand National Day Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Our two ante-post choices for the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday have stood their ground but it doesn’t look like Tony McCoy will get a ride in the race. The champion jockey had been booked to ride the soft ground specialist Benvolio but Paul Nicholls pulled him out with conditions having gone against him.

Al Co will need better luck than he experienced at Aintree last week when unseating his rider at the first fence. In-form Peter Bowen is confident that he has suffered no ill-effects after he continued to jump a further eight fences without his rider. He is only marginally higher in the weights than when successful last year and will love the ground. Harry The Viking has done nothing wrong in his recent races and should finish in front of old rival Lie Forrit on this faster ground. It is difficult to be confident in such a huge field but both have each-way chances.

The Scottish Champion Hurdle is enjoying something of a revival since being turned into a handicap. It still has some classy entries including one-time Champion Hurdle prospects Irving, Calipto and Sign Of A Victory. All three have question marks against them after disappointing this season but Irish raider I Shot The Sheriff looks very well handicapped.

He landed a gamble at Fairyhouse at the Irish Grand National meeting and comes here under a 5lbs penalty. He is racing over three-quarters of a mile shorter on quicker ground but he likes to race up with the pace. Paul Townend should have him handy and try to make it a decent gallop and he may still take some catching.

The Future Champion Novices’ Chase at 2.00 has a smaller field but also looks tricky. Fine Rightly has been winning in softer ground in Ireland while Oscar Rock has improved since blinkers were applied. Top Gamble ran too freely last time out and should do better but I’m inclined to side with the tough and consistent Seventh Sky. He does not know how to run a bad race and should give us a run for our money.

Seventh Sky 2.00 @11-2 Totesport

I Shot The Sheriff 2.35 @5-1 Totesport

Al Co 3.45 @14-1 Totesport (each-way)

Harry The Viking 3.45 @28-1 Stan James (each-way)

Scottish Grand National Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

If punters have any money left after the Irish and Aintree Grand Nationals, a maximum field looks guaranteed for Saturday’s Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

This race is usually just an after-thought for horses that were aimed at, or fell in, the big race at Liverpool. With only one week between the two, it is looking more like a consolation prize for those that missed the cut at Aintree.

Gallant Oscar and Broadway Buffalo certainly come into that category, the former having already missed Fairyhouse in the vain hope of squeezing into last week’s field. Tony Martin’s gelding ran a fine race behind The Druid’s Nephew at Cheltenham but the going could be on the quick side for him by Saturday.

Broadway Buffalo would have been the Grand National ride of Katie Walsh but David Pipe’s gelding also missed out. He also ran well at the festival to chase home Cause Of Causes in the four-miler. I am not entirely convinced that he will run two races alike and prefer to look elsewhere.

One horse that did make the cut at Aintree was Peter Bowen’s Al Co. Unfortunately he then unseated Denis O’Regan at the first when jinking away from a rival. He continued without his rider for a few fences which he jumped without further mishap. I would not normally be tempted by a first fence faller but he won this race last year and is only 5lbs higher. He should have perfect ground conditions and the stable is in fantastic form with a strike rate approaching 60% in recent days.

Seventeen-year-old Sean Bowen enjoyed his first National ride when finishing eleventh on Mon Parrain and he is in the saddle this weekend. Jamie Moore rode Al Co last year, surviving a nasty moment when the horse ducked away on the run-in and almost unseated him.

There are several horses here that would really appreciate some juice in the ground and that certainly includes Benvolio, the mount of Tony McCoy. He was a brave second in the Welsh National but this is a different kettle of fish altogether. Stable companion Sam Winner looks to have plenty of weight, although that is not necessarily a bar to success as shown by Many Clouds on Saturday.

My best long shot is Harry The Viking who has been running well without winning. He had a titanic battle with Lie Forrit at Haydock and should get the better of that rival on this better ground. He looks good each-way value at around 28-1.

Al Co @16-1 Ladbrokes

Harry The Viking @28-1 Betfair

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4