Doyle confirms Ayr plans

Sean Doyle has booked Sean Flanagan to ride Crosshue Boy in the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

After Crosshue Boy beat Dingo Dollar – current ante-post favourite for Saturday’s marathon – in the Novices’ Champion Chase at the meeting 12 months ago, Doyle has always had an eye on returning for the feature race.

A trip to Aintree in December helped to confirm a return to Ayr was the best plan of attack, and he has had just two runs over hurdles since the Becher Chase.

“The plan is to run,” said Doyle. “This has been the plan since Christmas. He’s in very good form, and we’re hoping the good ground will bring out the best in him. We took him to Aintree for the Becher to see if he’d take to the place. But David Mullins came in and told us he wasn’t mad about the fences, so after that we decided to target this race. We’ve got Sean Flanagan booked to ride him. We’ve kept him fresh, and I think he’ll get the trip, so hopefully he’ll run well.”

Meanwhile, USS Michigan can make his voyage to Chelmsford today pay off in the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes.

Aidan O’brien’s War Front colt, a lovely-looking individual, landed the cramped odds emphatically on his winning return at Dundalk last month.

The Kentucky Derby hopeful had made his racecourse debut at the Curragh more than eight months previously when he was caught close home after looking all over the winner.

He made no mistake at the same six-furlong trip last time, though, and the more experienced runner-up has since gone on to uphold the form in honourable defeat against a pair of useful winners.

Word has it further improvement is very much anticipated on this move up to a mile, enough certainly to warrant support in USS Michigan’s latest mission.