Tag: Ayr

Ayr Scottish Grand National Day Preview

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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)

Ayr Friday Preview

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The Scottish Grand National meeting gets under way at Ayr on Friday with the going officially good to soft. The outlook is for fine weather for the rest of the week so it is unlikely to favour the soft ground horses.

The card begins with a Novices’ Hurdle at 1.25 with Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville teaming up with Different Gravey. He is an imposing son of High Chaparral who has won races at Newbury and Huntingdon this season. He looked in trouble on his most recent start with three to jump but got stronger as they race went on, eventually beating A Vos Gardes by three lengths.

He meets the runner-up on identical terms here and should confirm the form. He did win a point-to-point on good ground in Ireland and should not be too inconvenienced by conditions. Fascino Rustico could be a danger if he can get his jumping together. Dan Skelton enjoyed a tremendous couple of days at Cheltenham this week and this horse was running respectably when falling in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

The staying handicap hurdle at 2.30 looks wide open and Henderson again has a leading contender in Special Agent, racing in the colours of Her Majesty The Queen. He had to work hard to win last time out and was probably flattered by his eight-length winning margin. There are plenty of others with chances here but not all are proven over three miles.

Brian Ellison’s Racing Europe certainly stays, having just been run out of it by Milansbar at Kelso over three miles and three furlongs last month. That looked a very decent contest and followed a fair run in fourth behind the front-running Bygones Sovereign. He is also a winner in excess of three miles at Catterick and has won on good to soft.

He does have ground to make up on Shanroe Santos on Musselburgh form in February but that horse has been well beaten since. Tony McCoy will need to earn his fee aboard Capard King who looks a hard ride while Sir Vinski and Chosen Well are others with chances.

Henderson and De Boinville could be back in the winner’s enclosure at 4.10 with Spartan Angel who ran a good race when third in the valuable mares’ race at Newbury last time. The daughter of Beneficial was coming back after a lay-off that day and looks to have been kept for the better spring ground.

Different Gravey 1.25 @11-10 Ladbrokes

Racing Europe 2.30 @8-1 Bet365

Spartan Angel 4.10 @3-1 BetVictor

Scottish Grand National Preview

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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

Scottish National Preview

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The Scottish National is always a tricky race to call. It comes so soon after the Aintree Grand National that it is rare for a horse from that event to be able to perform at its best. It also leaves us in the dark as far as running plans are concerned but it seems as though Paul Nicholls intends to run top weight Tidal Bay.

He was unlucky to exit the National last week but went on to make his presence felt when steering Across The Bay out of the race. Nicholls reasons that he has not had a hard race but he still has to concede a lot of weight. Perhaps more significantly, he keeps the weights compressed for everything else in the race including stable companion Sam Winner.

Sam Winner suffered a very severe injury a couple of seasons ago and looked unlikely to race again. It is to his credit that he has come back well enough to rank highly in the novice chase division this season. I gave him an each-way chance in the RSA Chase and he travelled well for a long way before weakening. Back in handicap company, he could be interesting. The RSA Chase form was not covered in glory at Aintree last week but I blame the different track for O’Faolains Boy’s poor effort and expect to see him back to his best next season.

One horse that did not make the Aintree line up was Alan King’s Godsmejudge. The trainer felt that he was just not quite ready for it and he has decided to come back here to attempt to repeat last year’s victory. In terms of the handicap, he is only 6lbs higher than when winning so impressively last season. It is difficult to be too confident about a horse that has not managed to complete in his last two races but there were mitigating circumstances.

The stable were well below par when he pulled up at Sandown and perhaps he just took a long time to get over the virus. We will soon know our fate as he usually travels quite nicely in his races and struck for home a long way out last year. He is certainly worth an each-way interest at 20-1 for a course and distance winner.

The race could be turned on its head if Tidal Bay comes out so we will watch the final declarations with interest.

Sam Winner at 11-1 Sportingbet

Godsmejudge at 20-1 Bet365

Scottish Champion Hurdle Preview

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The National Hunt season still has a few big races remaining, starting with the Scottish National meeting at Ayr this weekend. I’ll be previewing the National separately but the Scottish Champion Hurdle is also featured on the ante-post lists now that it is run as a handicap.

As something of a traditionalist, it seems a shame that both the Welsh and Scottish Champion Hurdle are now handicaps but it was inevitable. So much emphasis is put on Cheltenham these days that they were attracting only three or four runners. The policy seems to be working and there is a decent entry for this weekend’s Grade 2 event.

Surprisingly, Nicky Henderson has elected to run My Tent Or Yours. He ran very well at the festival but could not peg back Jezki in the closing stages. That was the second year running that he has found one to good following his narrow defeat in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle last year. It is worth remembering that My Tent Or Yours suffered a minor setback ahead of the Champion Hurdle so it could be significant that he is set to turn out here.

He has to concede upwards of 16lbs to his rivals but it is going to take a good one to lower his colours. There are two horses that stand out as possible dangers, Montbazon and Clever Cookie. Alan King has always held Montbazon in high regard but injury has limited his opportunities following a fine novice season. He was understandably a bit rusty on his debut in the Betfair Hurdle after a layoff of almost two years but ran a great race to be third in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham. My only concern with him is that he appeared to have quite a hard race there.

Clever Cookie has gone from strength to strength this season, winning his last three races in great style. They included the Scottish County Hurdle, although it has to be said that it was far removed from the Cheltenham variety. He then bolted up at Kelso in a Grade 2 race so is entitled to take on the likes of My Tent Or Yours in receipt of weight.

My old friend Flaxen Flare has been toiling away in the hottest handicaps all season and is another with a chance if he makes the trip over from Ireland. He doesn’t always find as much as you’d expect off the bridle but 18lbs looks a lot of weight to be getting from the favourite. My Tent Or Yours should make his class tell but he will need to be at his best.

My Tent Or Yours at 11-10 Paddy Power

Ayr & Newbury April 20th Preview

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A dead-heat for Sandy Lane (2-1) on Thursday extended our winning run to four following Move In Time (9-1), Gabrial (4-1) and Garswood (5-2). It can’t possibly last can it? We are already on Global Village at 11-1 for the Newbury Spring Cup and he looks sure to give us a good run for our money.

Having looked at the final declarations for the Newbury race, I cannot understand why Justonefortheroad is freely available at 20-1 and as high as 26-1 on Betfair. He also ran a cracker in the Lincoln but did not quite have the finishing kick displayed by Levitate and Global Village. With such a large field, the draw is bound to come into play. Global Village is in stall 7 whilst Justonefortheroad is in 23. I think a bit of each-way support on the Fahey horse makes sense.

A fascinating card also includes Guineas trials and the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Stakes (better known as the John Porter). Sir Henry Cecil could hardly have had a better week and there will be plenty of support for Noble Mission on his seasonal debut. He faces some useful opponents including Guarantee, well beaten in the Leger last time, and Model Pupil. The latter has got the assistance of Ryan Moore and is being spoken of as a possible Cup horse this season.

The classic fillies on show include Rosdhu Queen and Maureen. The seventh furlong is unknown territory for both and these trials don’t always go to plan. I’m happy to sit this one out and the colts trial looks like a match between Olympic Glory and Moohajim. Richard Hannon’s colt will go off favourite after stable companion Toronado ran away with the Craven this week but I have a lot of respect for Moohajim. He looked likely to win at Newmarket last time but was just denied by the battling Reckless Abandon. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him enter the Guineas picture here.

The going has played havoc with running plans for the Scottish National at Ayr with my ante-post selections taken out after heavy rain this week. The going is currently officially soft and I can report a warm drying day up in Scotland today (Make a note of it, there aren’t that many!). After 50-1 and 66-1 winners in the Irish and English Nationals, it would not surprise me one bit if there is another upset tomorrow.

Of more interest from a punting point of view is the reappearance of Grumeti in the Scottish Champion Hurdle. He was right up there with the best as a juvenile but has been kept off the track this season. Alan King would not run him here if he didn’t feel that he was fit enough to do himself justice and I think the 5-1 with William Hill looks good value.

Justonefortheroad 26-1 Betfair
Grumeti 5-1 William Hill