THESE are the National days. Aintree’s Grand National last week, Scottish Grand National this week, Irish Grand National next week.
At least there are only 27 fences and 28 runners at Ayr today, not 30 and 40.
The Coral Scottish Grand National is a race in which you generally don’t want to be too far off the pace, especially when the ground is goodish, as it looks like it will be today.
Dingo Dollar is a prominent racer who has plenty in his favour besides. He is a progressive young staying chaser who has the potential to go beyond the handicap rating of 147 off which he races today.
He stays well, he goes well at Ayr, he handles good ground well, and it looks like he has been trained for today’s race.
Alan King’s horse raced prominently in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in December when he finished third behind Sizing Tennessee and Elegant Escape, with Beware The Bear 15 lengths behind him in fourth.
He led and disputed from early that day, and he and Sizing Tennessee came clear from the top of the home straight, but he just tired after the winner went past him at the third last fence.
It is probable that Alan King has had this race in mind for Dingo Dollar since then, or perhaps since he finished second behind Crosshue Boy in the three-mile novices’ handicap chase at this meeting last year.
King loves to have runners and winners at this meeting, and he won the Scottish National with Godsmejudge in 2013.
There shouldn’t be much between Dingo Dollar and Crosshue Boy today on their running at Ayr last year.
Dingo Dollar is 2lbs better off for a one-length beating.
It looks like both horses have been trained for the race, and both obviously go well at the track and on the ground.
However, it may be that Dingo Dollar will have the edge this time.
He is only seven, he is two years younger than Sean Doyle’s horse, and he has raced just eight times over fences, as opposed to 13.
It may be that he has the greater scope for progression.
And he could be a well-handicapped horse, racing off a mark that is just 4lbs higher than his Ladbrokes Trophy mark.
Crosshue Boy is a danger, as are Vintage Clouds and Cloth Cap. Crosspark is interesting on his game Eider Chase win, for all that his hold-up racing style may not be ideal, and Acdc could out-run big odds, but the 10/1 that is generally available about Dingo Dollar could be the value of the race.
NEWBURY
The defection of Too Darn Hot from the Watership Down Stud Greenham Stakes obviously detracts from the race in terms of profile, but it adds to it in terms of its attraction as a potential betting medium.
Urban Icon was well backed yesterday. He is ostensibly the second string to Richard Hannon’s bow in the race behind Washington Singer Stakes winner Boitron, but, unbeaten in two runs last season as a juvenile, he has obviously been impressing at home.
Kevin Ryan’s horse Hello Youmzain, winner of a Group 2 race at Maisons-Laffitte in October, was also well backed yesterday, but Mohaather has drifted out to 5/1 as a result, and that looks big.
A narrow winner of a novices’ stakes at Nottingham in early October, Marcus Tregoning’s horse stepped forward from that to spring a surprise in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury two weeks later.
Owner Sheikh Hamdan’s second string in that race, he was allowed go off at 33/1, but he was the winner on merit.
He travelled like the most likely winner from a fair way out, he moved up nicely in behind horses at the two-furlong marker, and he picked up well to come through between horses, getting the better of Azano inside the final furlong, with the pair of them coming nicely clear.
The form of that performance was enhanced when fourth-placed Fanaar – the owner’s first string in the race – came out and won a listed race at Lingfield on his debut this season.
It is a positive that Mohaather is proven over the course and distance, and that he is proven on easy ground, and he could out-run his odds again today.
RECOMMENDED
DINGO DOLLAR, 3.35 Ayr, 1 point each-way, 10/1 (generally)
MOHAATHER, 2.40 Newbury, 1 point win, 5/1 (generally)