Vintage heads for Ayr

Vintage Clouds will take the route trodden by Vicente on Saturday as he attempts to win the Coral Scottish Grand National after falling at the first fence in the Grand National at Aintree.

Trainer Sue Smith reported her nine year-old none the worse for last Saturday’s fall and the Trevor Hemmings owned grey will line up with regular jockey Danny Cook at Ayr.

In 2017 Vicente also came a cropper at the first at Aintree and then re-routed to Ayr and won Scotland’s race for the second year in succession.

The Paul Nicholls horse also ran in the colours of Hemmings, so it will be very much a case of déjà vu if Vintage Clouds, third in the Ayr race last year, can come home in front. The one difference between the build-up for the two horses is that Vicente had two weeks between his two National runs while Vintage Clouds has only one.

Alan King, who won the race with Godsmejudge in 2013, has the current favourite for the race in Dingo Dollar and stable jockey Wayne Hutchinson takes the mount.

The main supporting race on the card is the CPMS Scottish Champion Hurdle and champion trainer Nicky Henderson could run three in this – top weight Verdana Blue, Brain Power and Mister Fisher.