HORSE RACING
WITH IAIN FERGUSON
Lucinda Russell could be tempted to run last week’s Cheltenham hero Corach Rambler in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr on April 2 after the Ultima Chase winner was one of three horses from her Perthshire yard among the 50 entries in this year’s race.
The others are Mighty Thunder, who was victorious in last year’s race, and Big River who came 11th last year and was fifth in 2019 in his two attempts at the race.
Sponsors Coral have installed Corach Rambler as 10-1 joint favourite with Mister Fogpatches who came third last year but it’s far from certain whether Lucinda will give him another big race challenge so soon after his success in the Cotswolds.
Elsewhere, among the entries there are some well kent names.
Bristol De Mai is advancing in years at 11, but ran well behind The Galloping Bear at Haydock recently while stablemate Fantastikas was 13 lengths behind Corach Rambler in seventh place.
Like Twiston-Davies, Paul Nicholls has trained three Scottish National winners and his lowest priced entry is
Three under thru five at 12-1 who was a well beaten sixth in the Brown Advisory Chase last week.
Dan Skelton is yet to train the winner of Scotland’s richest jumps contest but will be hoping for a big run from Ashtown Lad, currently trading at 16-1 and who hasn’t raced since finishing third behind Ahoy Senor at Wetherby at the beginning of February.
The Eider Chase at Newcastle earlier in the year saw Win My Wings, trained by Christian Williams beat Emma Lavelle’s Éclair Surf and I think if they line up at Ayr next month the placings can be reversed.
Borders based trainer Sandy Thomson has a strong hand with Hill Sixteen, second in the Becher Chase last December, and The Ferry Master fourth a year ago behind Mighty Thunder.
There are several Irish trained horses among the entries including Portstorm now with Colin McBratney but formerly trained by Ian Duncan in Coylton and Pat Fahy’s Mister Fogpatches, who was a creditable third in the race last year.
The current odds from Coral are 10-1 Corach Rambler, Mister Fogpatches; 12-1 Three under th ru five, Win My wings; 14-1 Kitty’s Light; 16-1 Ashtown Lad, Fotescue, Hewick, Mighty Thunder, Right placerightime,S tor my Judge.
There are 33 horses, many of them from big southern yards, entered for the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle which is run earlier on Coral Scottish Grand National afternoon.
Cheshire based Donald McCain has trained more winners than any other trainer this season and his A Different Kind has won five of his six starts and
could still be well handicapped and looks very interesting with champion jockey elect Brian Hughes virtually certain to be in the plate if he runs.
Nicky Richards has both Nells Son and Soft Risk entered with the former boasting the best form having won the Premier Hurdle at Kelso last time out.
Of the southern raiders Hacker des Places, from the Paul Nicholls yard, is in form having finished third behind Surprise Package in the Imperial Cup at Sandown earlier in the month while last year’s winner Milkwood will be fancied by trainer Neil Mulholland to put up a big defence of his crown.