Bally good chance
SKELTON TO BOOST HIS TITLE BID WITH SUCCESS AT AYR
BALLYGRIFINCOTTAGE (3.35, nap) can land the Coral Scottish Grand National for title-chasing trainer Dan Skelton.
Willie Mullins holds a narrow championship lead after I Am Maximus earned his stable £500,000 in Aintree’s version of today’s event.
A week on, the record-breaking Irishman – whose 19 British winners collected a £2.8m haul – saddles six runners in Ayr’s feature contest.
But Spanish Harlem, the choice of Paul Townend, and 12-length Fairyhouse scorer Macdermott have a real race on to bag £112,540.
A highly regarded novice hurdler in 2022, Ballygrifincottage has been brought steadily back to form by Skelton.
The nine-year-old looked a future staying chaser after his powerpacked fourth in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle.
However, that mighty effort could have left its mark and green shoots are only just starting to sprout again this season.
Downgraded from the top level, A PENNY A
HUNDRED (3.00) has a favourite’s chance for Mullins and Townend in the Jordan Electrics Ltd Seafield Trophy Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
The pair start the eight-race card with Scotty Brand Handicap
Chase runner Uncle Phil, but they bump into
TRAPRAIN LAW (1.15) – a strapping grey firmly on the up.
After a short break, MACLAINE (1.50) built on his initial experience of the bigger obstacles by winning snugly at Newbury last month and he could still have plenty in the tank from an 8lb higher mark.
Alan King’s handicap debutant FAVOUR AND FORTUNE (2.25) has form to figure in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle.
In Newbury’s opener, ARREST (1.30) holds all the aces in the Dubai
Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes, while on the back of an unbeaten three-race streak as a juvenile, ZOUM ZOUM (2.40) is fancied to stretch it to four in the Greenham Stakes.
A half-sister to former Group One globetrotter Benbatl, ELMALKA (2.05) has taken her only start at seven furlongs in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes build-up.
NOBLE ORDER
(3.15) tops a lengthy OLBG Spring Cup shortlist, which includes Lincoln runner-up Lattam, maiden Dancing Magic and lightly raced Real Gain.