IAIN FERGUSON
Entries are published this week for next month’s Coral Scottish Grand National and next week I will bring you all the up to date news and betting for the £150,000 contest which is run at Ayr on April 17.
I know that Vintage Clouds, who rolled back the years in winning the Ultima Chase at Cheltenham last week, is an intended runner while Mighty Thunder, who was a valiant second to Time To Get Up in the Midlands Grand National, will also feature.
There will also no doubt be runners from the southern stronghold yards of Messrs Nicholls, Henderson, Skelton, King and Pipe and we may even see a small but select Irish contingent following their all-conquering Cheltenham exploits last week.
My intel though is its unlikely Takingrisks from the Nicky Richards yard will defend the crown he won in 2019 as he is more likely to line up at Aintree on April 10.
Spring is just around the corner and that means the return of the Flat turf season which begins on Saturday with the traditional Doncaster meeting which features the Unibet Lincoln Handicap.
This is always a frantic betting heat but it’s a race where I tend to look for value for money and I believe I have dug out a horse in Johan who could worry the judge at odds of 14-1.
This four year-old son of Zoffany is impeccably bred and impressed me when winning a Class 2 Handicap at the Ayr Gold Cup Festival last September.
He is trained by Willie Haggas and will be partnered by Tom Marquand and although he carried top weight the reason for that is simple.
He is the most talented horse in the race and should be more than capable of lugging 9st 10lbs over the Doncaster mile.
The horse he beat by a short head at Ayr is Brunch from the Michael Dods yard and he is a 12-1 shot but I’m firmly in the Johan camp and I believe class will prevail.
Also in action at Donny is QTS Ayr Gold Cup winner Nahaarr who runs in the Unibet Cammidge Trophy Listed Race where he takes on the 2016 Ayr Gold Cup winner Brando in what should be a cracking contest.
On Sunday’s Doncaster card Mark Johnston’s Annandale, bred by William Johnstone from Coylton, attempts to win his third race in four starts having run third on his racecourse debut at Ayr in September before winning over 1m 2f at Bath and then dropping back to a mile at Newcatsle and going in again.
The race he runs in on Sunday is over 1m 2f and he is on a handy weight and should have an outstanding chance particularly if he is to take up a Derby entry for which he is currently quoted at 66-1.