The glorious English spring – that time when the peak of the jumps season and beginning of the Flat season dovetail into a fusion of high-class horse racing from both ends of its spectrum – hits us full on this weekend as Ayr’s Scottish National fixture intertwines with the Newbury Spring meeting.
All racing folk who reside north of the border regard the Scottish Grand National as the jewel in that country’s racing crown, a statement of its sporting heritage and first run in 1858 when its 32 jumps were mainly stone walls.
Its first host was the now-defunct Bogside and its first winner The Elk… an inappropriate name in that when the contenders thunder round the final bend and into the home straight on good ground at Ayr on Saturday they travel faster than at any other National Hunt course in Britain.
Amongst its winners and the one widely regarded as its greatest was RED RUM, who remains the only horse to win the Aintree Grand National and the Scottish National in the same year, 1974.
And whilst a Tiger went on the prowl and roared to victory in the shape of TIGER ROLL at Aintree last weekend, at Ayr Nicky Henderson could saddle the on-the-day favourite through the growling presence of another Cheltenham Festival winner, BEWARE THE BEAR.
The bookmakers are on alert for a Bear attack from this rejuvenated nine-year-old who aside from his last gasp success in the Ultima Handicap Chase last month also scored at Cheltenham in January. A 9lb rise to a career-high mark of 160 means he will carry top weight of 11st 12lb in the four-miler, but Henderson is confident.
He enthuses: “He’s done really well, he’s in great shape and the addition of blinkers have helped him a lot. I think a slight change of tactics in not forcing the pace quite as much has helped him.”
The Scottish National is backed up by the Scottish Champion Hurdle in which Henderson prevailed only once before with River Ceiriog in 1986, but this time around has a leading light in the mare VERDANA BLUE, who having hated the easy going in the Champion Hurdle will relish better underfoot conditions and is one for your notebook on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the first key pointers to the British Classics materialise at Newbury which hosts trials for both the 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas.
In the Group 3 Greenham Stakes, it will be a huge shock if TOO DARN HOT doesn’t win, whatever weather conditions are prevalent at the Berkshire course.
John Gosden’s unbeaten colt will bid to assert his position as favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, run at Newmarket three weeks later. He was the standout Juvenile of 2018 when his four successive victories culminated in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes in which he came home unchallenged under Frankie Dettori.
I can pass on a positive message regarding Mick Channon’s MODERN MILLIE in the fillies’ trial, the Fred Darling Stakes, a race that commemorates one of the greatest trainers Britain has produced.
In a race that could see Ralph Beckett’s DANCING VEGA start amongst the favourites, MODERN MILLIE will offer value as she won just a minor race on her debut which is the only time she’s appeared on the racecourse.
As a historic curtain raiser to a fantastic weekend that offers a bit of everything, the all-weather scene is brightened by Aidan O’Brien’s decision to saddle a first runner at Chelmsford City tomorrow, when U S S MICHIGAN puts his Kentucky Derby aspirations on the line in the inaugural running of the £60,000 Woodford Reserve Cardinal Stakes.
The trainer has also declared Naas nursery scorer ANTILLES in the mile event, which is the last of seven races in the European ‘Road To the Kentucky Derby’ series. Horses running in the series qualifiers gain points depending on their finishing position, with the highest earner, should they be entered, receiving an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby on May 4.
The other horse eligible for Churchill Downs is SHIR KHAN, a novice stakes winner at Wolverhampton for Paul Cole.
O’Brien said: “Michigan is a big, long-striding cruiser and we always thought he would get a mile and further, and the right type for Churchill Downs.
“Last year was a good experience to witness it (the Kentucky Derby) and there are things we need to improve on.”
If U S S MICHIGAN wins tomorrow he will receive 30 points in the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ series, enough to catapult him to the head of the standings.
And so the bookies are braced for the possibility of one or more horses catapulting themselves towards the front of big race ante-post markets with a visually impressive display on another big weekend for racing in Britain.
