A MAXIMUM field of 30 will fight out tomorrow's Scottish Grand National, with two hopeful reserves standing by just in case and five would-be contenders forced to look elsewhere after being deemed surplus to requirements.
The good news for ante-post supporters of the unlucky quintet to be eliminated, however, is they will at least get their money back, which is more than those who have plunged on Ossmoses will be able to do.
An impressive success at Haydock and a
runner-up spot in Uttoxeter's Midlands National had catapulted Don Foster's grey to the head of the betting in some lists, but his name was a shock absentee when yesterday's final declarations were revealed, the going at the Craigie course considered not to be soft enough for the nine-year-old.
Ossmoses apart, the other major players in what will be the most valuable race ever run in Scotland are still standing, with leading fancies All In The Stars, Ladalko, Halcon Genelardais, Idle Talk, Darkness and Nil Desperandum set to head north.
Travelling slightly less far will be Len Lungo's The Bajan Bandit and Kerry Lads from Lucinda Russell's yard, who will fly the Saltire for the locals as they bid for a first home win in 24 years.
Today's opening skirmishes of the National meeting offer plenty to get excited about with Tony McCoy primed to kick off with a winner courtesy of Zipalong Lad, the champion jockey also taken to collect on Mioche d' Estruval later in the afternoon.
Kimbambo's transition from hurdles to fences has hardly been as smooth as trainer James Ewart would have hoped, but the gelding turned in his best performance as a chaser last time out and if the penny has finally dropped, he could be nicely weighted to cause a big shock, while Into The Shadows is another near the foot of the handicap who is worth an interest.
The rest of the card can see Paul Nicholls tighten still further his grip on the trainers' championship, not that he really needs to, by adding to what has already been an amazing spell of success.
A winner a day has been the average of the Somerset handler lately and Geeveem, Monte Cinto and Armaturk can add an extra coat of gloss to those figures.
The last named was a very hopeful 50-1 nap at Aintree on his last appearance and while never really looking likely to prevail, plenty finished behind him who were better fancied than he was.
Things looked as if they were happening too quick for him on that occasion, so the step up in distance Armaturk encounters here should ensure a more sedate pace which he'll be happy about. He'll be less enamoured about again being the best bet.
• Killybegs ran out a ready winner of the Group 3 Craven Stakes for trainer Barry Hills and his son Michael at Newmarket yesterday.
The 9-2 second-favourite was always close to the pace and drew clear in the final couple of furlongs for a comfortable three-and-a-half-length call over Metropolitan Man (16-1).
Gin Jockey was a neck further away in third while 11-8 favourite City Of Troy finished unplaced.
• Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Tonight's Kempton fixture does indeed have races due at 7.28, 7.56, 8.24 and 8.52. To fit all six in, officials had to reduce the time between each to 28 minutes rather than the normal 30.
