Tomorrow’s Coral Scottish Grand National (3.35 p.m.) has attracted a field of 23 runners with a pot of more than £112,000 to the connections of the winner. Irish trainer Willie Mullins, fresh from his stunning achievements at Aintree last weekend, has six runners in the race as he tries to become champion trainer in Britain for a second successive year.
It’s impossible to rule out another Mullins victory but the bookies are running scared of his horses and the forecast favourite, Chosen Witness, looks to be particularly poor value.
I have put up two horses for the race with mixed fortunes so far. Magna Sam, suggested each way at 50-1, is running and is now a top-priced 20-1. He’s ended up 2 lbs out of the handicap but that’s not a disaster and he will, hopefully, outrun his odds.
Bizarrely, Whistle Stop Tour, who has been aimed at this race all season, is a non-runner on account of the ground – even though it’s currently ‘good to soft’ and they intend to water after racing to keep it like that.
Instead, he is going to race tomorrow on exactly the same ground at exactly the same course in a handicap chase over a mile shorter. Hopefully, there is some logic somewhere to all of this but I am not going to put him up for the 1.43 p.m. race at odds of 4-1 or shorter, even though he is very capable of winning this lesser eight-runner race.
However, I am backing another horse in the Scottish National in the shape of Joe Tizzard’s ROCK MY WAY, who was second at the Cheltenham Festival in the Princess Royal National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.
Time may tell that there is not a horse in Britain or Ireland who could beat the winner of that race, Haiti Couleurs, off his then rating of 135 (now up to 142) in a staying handicap chase. True, if horses like Now Is The Hour and Duffle Coat had stood up, Rock My Way might have been fourth but it was still a fine run and he has been raised just 1 lb by the official handicapper for it.
This race could come too soon after Rock My Way’s exertions at the Festival but, if he has recovered, then novices have a good record in this Ayr race and he could run really well. Back him 1 point each way at 10-1 with bet365, William Hill or Unibet, all paying six places.
Tizzard and jockey Brendan Powell deserve a big race winner after two near misses at the Festival, the second with The Changing Man who was only beaten by handicap-snip Myretown in the Ultima Chase.
In the Grade 2 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle, I have already put up Welsh Charger each way at 33-1, four places, and he is a sporting bet in a race which has now cut up to just 12 runners. Once again, he is now a top-priced 20-1 shot.
Trainer Lucinda Russell is allowing TRAPRAIN LAW to run tomorrow even though she is on record as saying he is a mud-lover. He is due to be one of the nine runners in tomorrow’s Scotty Brand Handicap Chase (1.10 p.m.) having been second in this race on soft ground last year.
I loved the way this seven-year-old jumped for fun at the Festival before fading to finish seventh in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase. That was a red-hot contest and that form could be good enough to win tomorrow, even without the help of being dropped 1 lb by the handicapper for his effort last month.
If the ground was really soft, I would make him a confident selection but I will still take a chance on faster ground with 2 points win at 5-1, this price being offered by all bookmakers at the time of writing.
ROCKOLA VOGUE has not been out of the first three in her eight career runs, all over the past year, first in bumpers and then hurdle races. The six-year-old mare has improved almost every run and, provided her long season does not catch up, with her she can win her fourth race tomorrow in the UK Greentech Glasgow Seafield Trophy Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (2.55 p.m.).
This is a competitive affair for a first prize of more than £21,000 but Rockola Vogue could well improve further for the step up in distance to three miles and so back her 1 point each way at 13-2 with SkyBet, Willliam Hill, Paddy Power or Unbiet all paying four places.
Sadly, Aintree last week could hardly have gone worse for this column: Fantastic Lady was cantering when she all but lost her jockey four out in the Topham, Kandoo Kid was going nicely enough when falling at the 21st fence in the Grand National and, to cap it all, Moon Chime was brought down by a faller (officially ‘slipped up’ on the bend) before the first hurdle in the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle. Onwards and, hopefully, upwards after those tales of woe.
Last weekend: – 14 points.
1 point each way Marble Sands at 20-1 for the Topham Chase, paying ¼ odds, 4 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Fantastic Lady at 25-1 for the Topham Chase, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Moon Chime at 12-1 for the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Brought down. – 2 points.
1 point each way Miami Magic at 14-1 for the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 3 places. Unplaced. – 2 points.
1 point each way Kandoo Kid at 33-1 for the Grand National, paying ¼ odds, 4 places. Fell. – 2 points.
1 point each way Monbeg Genius at 33-1 NRNB for the Grand National, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Pulled up. – 2 points.
1 point each way Hyland at 25-1 NRNB for the Grand National, paying 1/5th odds, 5 places. Pulled up. – 2 points.
Pending:
2 points win Traprain Law at 5-1 for the Scotty Brand Handicap Chase.
1 point each way Welsh Charger at 33-1 for the Scottish Champion Hurdle, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Rockola Vogue at 13-2 for the UK Greentech Glasgow Seafield Trophy Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, paying 1/5th odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Magna Sam at 50-1 for the Scottish National, paying ¼ odds, 4 places.
1 point each way Rock My Way at 10-1 for the Scottish National, paying 1/5th odds, 6 places.
1 point each way Whistle Stop Tour at 16-1 for the Scottish National, paying ¼ odds, 4 places. Non Runner.
2024-5 jump season running total: – 49.21 points.
2024 flat season: + 41.4 points on all tips.
2023-4 jump season: + 42.01 points on all tips.
2023 flat season: – 48.22 points on all tips.
2022-3 jump season: + 54.3 points on all tips.
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