Get all of the best bets and tips for the 2024 edition of Scottish Grand National Day as well as Newbury’s Spring Trials this Satruday 20 April.
AYR
Race 1 – SANS BRUIT 5/2
Paul Nicholls can get on the scoresheet with SANS BRUIT, who was a sight to behold under Bryony Frost at Aintree and is out again quickly in the Scotty Brand Handicap Chase.
Not surprisingly the assessor has had a go at reeling him and he is 10lb higher off just a nine-day rest, but he won so easily that if Frost is able to get him in anything like the same sort of rhythm, he will be difficult to peg back.
Race 2 – INCH HOUSE 17/2
The class act in the CPMS Novices’ Champion Handicap Chase is undoubtedly the Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah, a multiple Grade One winner over hurdles.
However, he is 11 now and not as good over fences so a chance is taking on INCH HOUSE bouncing back to form.
Race 3 – L’EAU DU SUD 33/10
Dan Skelton can strike back with L’EAU DU SUD in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle.
He has looked like winning the two biggest two-mile handicap hurdles of the season at Newbury and Cheltenham, only to be caught close home.
This track is less of a test and he can bag a big pot before potentially going chasing next autumn.
Race 4 – SAYLAVEE 7/1
Mullins-trained SAYLAVEE brings solid form having finished runner-up in the G3 Quevega Mares Hurdle at Punchestown during February.
Stablemate Pink In The Park will find this easier than when well beaten in the G1 Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, but could be interesting going up in distance.
Larchmony Lass cannot be left out of calculations following her fourth-placed finish in the G2 ‘National Hunt Mares Novices Hurdle at Newbury last start.
Race 5 – GIT MAKER 6/1
GIT MAKER can prove a real party pooper for Jamie Snowden in the Coral Scottish Grand National.
This meeting has been dominated by talk of the trainers’ championship as it builds to a crescendo, with Willie Mullins, Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton all throwing plenty of runners at the fixture.
Victory for either in the £200,000 four-mile test would make them difficult to catch, but Git Maker has so much going for him it is hard to look elsewhere.
You usually want a lightly-raced chaser still ahead of the handicapper for races of this nature, as I Am Maximus proved last week at Aintree.
While he had already won an Irish National he did so as a novice and now he is thought of as a Gold Cup contender, showing how much he had in hand.
Git Maker is highly unlikely to reach that level, but he still has plenty more to offer based on his tremendous Cheltenham Festival effort.
He finished second in the Kim Muir to Gavin Cromwell’s Inothewayurthinkin and while he was beaten eight lengths by the top-weight, there was a further 18 back to the third and Git Maker only went up 1lb.
Thrown in the fact the winner went to Aintree and won the Mildmay Novices’ Chase by four lengths, that form looks red-hot.
NEWBURY
Race 1 – ARREST 17/10
ARREST is out early but the St Leger runner-up will love the ground in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes.
The Gosden-trained four-year-old may get the better of the likeable Hamish who maintains a remarkable winning record.
The William Haggas-trained four-year-old made it four in a row when successful in the G3 St Simon Stakes at Newmarket in November.
Runner-up that day Al Qareem warrants respect, along with Chesspiece who could go close after dropping in trip on first outing since finishing second in the Listed Troy Asset Management Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot.
Race 2 – REGAL JUBILEE 28/10
Knowing how forward the three-year-olds are in advance of seeing them is a tricky business but REGAL JUBILEE impressed in winning a Listed race last term.
Her breeding, by Frankel out of Regal Realm, suggests she should be even better this year and she secures the pick in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes.
Race 3 – ROOM SERVICE 15/2
In the Watership Down Greenham Stakes Kevin Ryan’s ROOM SERVICE can cause a shock.
He was the only horse to beat Clive Cox’s Dragon Leader last season and he did so by over two lengths, giving him weight, with Aidan O’Brien’s Johannes Brahms, the Gimcrack runner-up, back in third.
Race 4 – GODWINSON 17/2
A fiercely competitive Olbg Spring Cup Handicap where the unexposed GODWINSON catches the eye.
He looked a touch unlucky in running when fifth behind a subsequent G1 winner Measured Time under a penalty at Kempton and may prove well-treated on handicap debut.
Top-weight Raadobarg handles conditions and could be firmly in the mix after finishing third in the Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh on reappearance.
Lattam might go well following his excellent stable debut second in the English equivalent at Doncaster last month.
Third home that day Navagio caught the eye running on strongly having been short of room and cannot be ruled out alongside Noble Order.
