Scottish Grand National Meeting

The National Hunt season is coming to an end, but we can't say goodby without a look at the biggest Ayr meeting of the year containing the Scottish Grand National as well as the Scottish Champion Hurdle.

The Ayr April meeting, headlined by the Scottish Grand National, has quietly become one of the most important fixtures in the jumps calendar.

First run in 1867, The Scottish Grand National has always been about stamina, not speed. A proper staying test over four miles, it’s the kind of race that exposes weak finishers and rewards tough, well-handicapped horses.

When Ayr took over as the permanent home in the 1960s, it gave the race a consistent identity. Since then, it’s grown into a major target for trainers on both sides of the border, especially those looking to land a big handicap with a well-plotted stayer.

For many, it’s the final serious test of the jumps season. Horses that have been campaigned quietly through the winter suddenly come to life here, often at bigger prices than they should be.

It’s not a race for flashy types. It’s a race for horses that keep finding when others have had enough.

And year after year, it produces results that reward patience, planning… and a proper understanding of what it takes to stay.

Selections

This isn't a meeting I get too heavily involved in as I'm always too busy studying for the upcoming big flat meetings.

But I do have a couple of bets for you below.

Friday 17th April
4:05 Ayr, Came From Nowhere

A horse that went into my tracker after his Newbury 2nd behind the useful 'Le Frimeur' who is unbeaten in 3-starts and who was well touted for Cheltenham after his Chepstow win but was sidelined due to injury. CFN was unlucky not to beat him last time after making a hash of the last hurdle and although it's not guaranteed he'd have won, he still kept going after the bad mistake which must have taken away from his finishing effort. He missed Aintree last time when we had him because of the ground (not soft enough) a race which was a grade 1 novice, and with softer ground guaranteed tomorrow dropping into handicap company, he gets the vote ahead of Saracen Beau.

Saturday 18th April
2:20 Ayr, Gibbs Island

Caught the eye in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham staying on well from the rear to finish a never-nearer 7th behind WIlful whom he reopposes tomorrow on 6lb better terms on Saturday. The time of the County Hurdle was good and has good overall comparable against the rest of the Cheltenham card that day, and although tomorrow's race is similar in terms of grade, I think the quality and competitiveness of the Cheltenham race was far deeper, and with Wilful having to give a minimun=m of a stone in weight to all bar one rival on Saturday, it's surely too big of a task for him to win. Of the others I like the chances of Captain Hugo who posted a good number when winning at Kelso last time, as well as All in You who struggled on the heavy ground at Newbury last time and should ge better on Friday on better ground after a break.