Christian has high hopes of Scottish Grand National glory
THE Scottish Grand National is run this weekend, a week before its Aintree counterpart. This unfamiliar situation is due to the movable feast of Easter being quite late this year combined with the Guineas meeting at Newmarket falling at the end of April instead of early May, as is usual. The BHA did not want the Guineas and the Scottish National to clash on the same day.
Red Rum is the only horse to win the English and Scottish Nationals in the same year (1974). The latter took place just three weeks after the former, and yet Rummy won like a fresh horse, going away at the finish.
Kitty’s Light was backed from 6/1 to 4/1 earlier this week. He has plenty of stamina for a six-year-old but is quite a small horse, so heavy going or big Aintree fences wouldn’t suit him. Good to soft ground and an easy track like Ayr will suit him and his trainer Christian Williams has form with National winners, albeit the Welsh and Midlands versions. Stable-mate Win My Wings won the even-longer Eider Chase in February and his price has shrunk from 12s to 7s. Alan King’s horses are in good form and Major Dundee should run a big race.
The Scottish National has only been run at Ayr since 1966. Prior to that it was held at the unfortunately named Bogside racecourse, the venue since 1867. That course had been established by the Earls of Eglinton early in the 19th Century. Bogside closed because the Jockey Club believed there were too many fixtures between it and Ayr. Bogside lost the argument and its funding was removed. Closure was inevitable. The proximity of an explosives factory was another reason for its demise, even in those distant days before health and safety became such a widespread issue.
Closer to home, Chepstow have been watering ahead of tomorrow’s meeting. There will be plenty of other liquid available, seeing as it’s Beer and Cider Festival Day. The first of seven races is due off at 1.08. The star turns will be human rather than equine, for The Wurzels will be performing for an hour after racing.
Wednesday’s reduction, on appeal, of Robbie Dunne’s suspension for bullying Bryony Frost will put the whole sorry saga in the headlines again. The decrease from 18 months to 10 means he can start riding again on October 9, instead of next year. The appeal panel’s rationale is that the original sentence did not take sufficient account of an attempted apology by Dunne at one stage and his willingness to take part in a meeting to clear the air at another. This will cause fresh controversy and the subject will blow up again in October. While Dunne has rightly been castigated there has been some sympathy for him in the racing world behind the scenes. It will be interesting to see who puts their head above the parapet and offers him rides when the time comes.