MORRIS RULING OUT A NATIONAL HAT-TRICK

Trainer Mouse Morris and owners Gigginstown House Stud cannot see lightning striking three times when they go for a Grand national hat-trick at ayr today.

The owner-trainer combination are responsible for Folsom Blue in the Coral Scottish Grand national after scooping the pool with rogue angel in the irish version and rule The World at aintree.

However, connections believe winning all three would be too much to ask for.

Folsom Blue was fourth in the Fairyhouse feature and Morris expects him to run creditably without landing the spoils.

‘He ran a good race in Fairyhouse and he should come on from that,’ said the County Tipperary handler.

‘andrew ring rode him last time, so we’re happy to have him on again.

‘it would be too much to expect him to win, but he’s in good form and i’d be hopeful he’ll run well.’

as well as Folsom Blue, Gigginstown are represented by the Willie Mullinstrained Measure of my dreams, who ran a good race when third to Minella rocco in the four-mile national Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.

‘He ran well at Cheltenham. He’s probably got a bit too much weight on his back but we’ll see,’ said O’Leary.

Scottish Borders trainer Sandy Thomson is hoping to win the feature with his star novice See you at midnight.

Thomson went to the Cheltenham Festival with high hopes for the eightyear-old, but the ground dried up and scuppered his chances of success in the rSa Chase as he was a well-beaten seventh behind Blaklion.

Thomson hopes that conditions will be more suitable in ayr.

He said: ‘Unfortunately, he’s run in three Grade Ones now and each time the ground has gone against him.

‘That was genuine good ground at Cheltenham, which wouldn’t be ideal.

‘if he hadn’t gone out in front, there wouldn’t have been enough pace. Things just didn’t go for him.

‘We’re on a fact-finding mission but i think it will suit him well. You never know about four miles until you try.’

Scottish-born alan King tasted success with Godsmejudge in 2013 and relies upon Midnight Prayer to repeat the trick.

‘i wanted to run three but the ground is too soft for Ziga Boy and Sego Success scoped badly,’ said King.

‘We know he stays as he landed the four-miler two years ago at Cheltenham and i wanted him to run at aintree last week but even (a mark of) 142 doesn’t get you in these days.

‘He’ll run respectably. He’s my only runner over the two days, so i’ve got an excuse to go home!’