Bear heads big-race field as Vintage targets redemption

Beware The Bear heads 28 declarations for the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr, with 8-1 market leaders Dingo Dollar and Big River also standing their ground.

Vintage Clouds, a first-fence faller at Aintree last week, was also declared and will bid for redemption on Saturday. Trained by Sue Smith, the grey was a popular choice for the Grand National, but he met the initial obstacle all wrong and unfortunately brought down Up For Review – with fatal consequences for the latter.

Vintage Clouds had previously chased home the Nicky Henderson-trained Beware The Bear in a Grade Three at Cheltenham last month, and the pair will renew rivalry in Scotland . Dingo Dollar represents Alan King, pictured, and has been among the leading lights in the ante-post market after finishing second in the Grimthorpe at Doncaster last month.

The victor on Town Moor was Chidswell and is in opposition again for Nicky Richards – along with the same trainer’s Takingrisks – while Big River, from Lucinda Russell’s yardinfife, isanotherprominent name among the declarations. Geronimo, trained by Sandy Thomson and ridden by Rachael Mcdonald, is the other Scottish-trained runner.