Always to get it Right in Scottish National

Apr 15 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

PUNTERS will flock to Ayr for Saturday’s Coral Scottish Grand National, each of them believing they know the winner.

But this year’s showpiece is a more wide open affair than the 4-1 offered about the favourite, Chicago Grey, might have you believe (writes Alan Tracy).

Indeed, Chicago Grey deserves to be heading the market, after a stout staying performance at the Cheltenham Festival, storming up the hill in the amateur four miler.

But he enjoyed a dream passage on the heels of the leaders that day and has amazingly been on the go since July. One has to wonder if he has one eye on a well-earned summer holiday and if connections are going to the well once too often?

Therefore, we’ll look elsewhere for the winner and gravitate towards something that’s been kept fresh, has skipped both the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals, likes spring ground, is in good form and is open to a few pounds of improvement.

Ticking most boxes is John Wade’s former hunter chaser Always Right – currently on an upward curve after switching over to the professional game from the amateur ranks in October.

Always Right, generally available at 8/1 third best, has had a light campaign, possibly with this target in mind and is down at the right end of the handicap.

He was all out to scrape home by a neck from another of Saturday’s intended runners, Lothian Falcon, in the Grimthorpe at Doncaster last month.

But he led from a long way out and if he’s ridden with a bit more restraint this time around, I can see him having them all in his sights coming to the last fence.

His biggest threat might not necessarily come from those around him in the betting, namely Chicago Grey and Beshabar, the latter of which finished second behind Chicago Grey at the Cheltenham Festival.

Instead, the Ferdy Murphy factor (trained two of the last six winners) may come into play with Poker De Sivola. Poker, around16-1, is another who’s had an easy passage to this race and was held up in a different county when turning out for the cross-country race at the Cheltenham Festival.

That performance stank of a preparation for a bigger target and he’s no stranger to four miles, having won in 2010 the same marathon race collected this year at the festival by Chicago Grey. However, he was pulled up in this race last year and is now six pounds out of the handicap.

The other who may test the selection is Ouzbeck, generally 25-1, who shaped like a staying chaser in the making when winning over three and half miles at Uttoxeter last summer, followed by a decent staying on third at Cheltenham in October.

Ouzbeck had a nice break over the winter before having a spin over hurdles recently. But he is prone to the odd blunder and that might just catch him out if there’s a few with a chance at the business end of the race.

Of the others, Minella Four Star was a resounding winner of the Midlands National at Uttoxeter. However, he’s been beaten this year by Ouzbeck and Blazing Bailey and he may find another too good again.

Last year’s Scottish-trained winner, Merigo, looks set to run another huge race. But being 12 pounds out of the handicap is a big ask in a competitive race like this.

Selection: 1. Always Right; 2. Poker De Sivola; 3. Ouzbeck.