Go Forth at Ayr and reap the rewards

Forth Bridge, owned by The Queen, is taken to land the Hillhouse Quarry Handicap Chase at Ayr today, the feature contest on day one of the £715,000 Coral Scottish Grand National meeting. A field of 15 runners go to post in the £50,000 race, with champion trainer Nicky Henderson saddling the top two in the weights – Gold Present and River Wylde, ridden by James Bowen and Nico de Boinville respectively. Charlie Longsdon’s Forth Bridge, though, makes most appeal. The dual hurdles winner, a model of consistency over fences, finally got his head in front in a Kempton handicap over this trip last month and is expected to go well again despite an 8lb rise in the weights.

The Smart Money’s On Coral Seafield Trophy Mares’ Handicap Hurdle, with a prize fund of £30,000, sees champion jockey Richard Johnson ride top weight Vivant, while Kelka, back hurdling, could spring a surprise in the Uomo Handicap Hurdle

Elsewhere today, Blonde Warrior can get his 2019 campaign off to a perfect start in the Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises Handicap at Newbury. Hugo Palmer’s charge was talked of as a Classic contender after winning two of his first three juvenile outings last year before making the leap to Group Two company in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

The Zoffany colt found that assignment beyond him, finishing a well-beaten eighth. Given a break following that disappointment, Blonde Warrior only just failed to sign off with a win on the all-weather last September, so Blonde Warrior deserves plenty of respect in this field.