Williams has high hopes for star stablemates in Scottish National
Christian Williams is finding it difficult to split Kitty's Light and Win My Wings as the stablemates prepare to lock horns in today's Coral Scottish Grand National.
Kitty's Light is the ante-post favourite for the Ayr marathon and would not be winning out of turn, having filled the runner-up spot in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and Coral Trophy at Kempton in the past 12 months.
The six-year-old will be tackling four miles for the first time in this weekend's feature event and Williams expects him to give another good account.
He said: "It would be great to see him win, but at the same time he's been a great horse to own and I think he's won £70,000 in prize-money this season without winning, so I don't want to get too greedy.
"He's only a six-year-old and we've ran him on tracks this year that wouldn't have obviously suited him as we just didn't want to run him on bottomless ground through the winter. His last three runs have been at Kempton, which would be a little bit sharp for him, but hopefully that experience will have sharpened up his jumping.
"We said we'd give him one crack at four miles this year. I don't want to run him over this trip too many times as we want him to be running in Grand Nationals when he's seven, eight, nine and 10.
"He's a staying horse and it looks like everything will suit
him, but with 24 runners you obviously need a lot of luck."
On the same afternoon Kitty's Light found only another stable companion in Cap Du Nord too strong at Kempton, Win My Wings landed the Eider Chase at Newcastle to complete a memorable day for the trainer.
With Jack Tudor partnering Kitty's Light, Williams has booked top Irish amateur Rob James to claim a handy 7lb off Win My Wings. "We
think we're going there with two good chances and probably wouldn't swap them for too much else in the race," he added. "Kitty's Light is obviously a good horse, but you couldn't help but be impressed by the way Win My Wings won the Eider.”
Dan Skelton has big hopes for Ashtown Lad, who was last seen finishing third behind star Scottish novice Ahoy Senor in the Towton at Wetherby. "He shapes to me like
a stayer and I'm really happy with him," said Skelton. "Ground won't be a problem."
Innisfree Lad was beaten just over eight lengths into third place by Win My Wings in the Eider and trainer David Dennis has booked champion jockey-elect Brian Hughes for the rematch.
Scotland won the race last year with Lucinda Russell’s Mighty Thunder and Borders trainer Sandy Thomson has the third favourite in this
year’s renewal with The Ferry Master, fourth 12 months ago, and his step son-in-law Ryan Mania takes the ride. Thomson also saddles Hill Sixteen while Dumfriesshire based Iain Jardine runs Cool Mix, the mount of Alan Doyle.
The main support race is the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle where last year’s winner Milkwood attempts a big race double for trainer Neil Mulholland and jockey Sam Twiston-davies.