WHERE have all the horses gone? That's the question Ayr officials must have been asking themselves when they saw the final declarations for the opening afternoon of this year's Scottish Grand National meeting.
From an original entry of almost 200, just 37 runners will fight it out for a combined purse of over £115,000 at the Craigie course, which by my reckoning means any horse that manages to finish has a serious chance of picking up some cash.
Indeed
, such is the dearth of runners in the opener, the weights have risen by a massive 20lbs.
Contrast those sort of figures with this evening's card at Hereford. Ostensibly the same ground, good to firm, £80,000 less prize money yet 20 more runners. Go figure.
"Overall, I am very disappointed although I'm happy with the quality of the runners we do have," admitted Ayr's managing director Richard Johnstone.
"We have put up good prize-money and a good variety of races yet we still have very poor fields. I can only assume many trainers who entered must have thought there would be a lot of rain which was never the forecast."
Having fashioned a rod for my own back, you'll now all expect me to tip every winner given the shortage of contenders available, but as a man who once got a walkover wrong, such expectations might just be a trifle on the optimistic side.
One, however, who is recommended with utmost confidence, or at least as much confidence as horses will allow you to have, is Sha Bihan who can ensure Cotswolds-based handler Alan King's return to his native Scotland is a happy one. The gelding wasn't noted for his consistency in his hurdling days but he hasn't done a lot wrong since switching to fences and may well have been closer than third on his latest outing at Stratford had he not been hampered by a faller.
Another member of the King clan, Neil this time, can land the mares only event with Festive Chimes, while the Paul Nicholls pair of Ange de Villez and Pirate Flagship are a duo who look dynamic enough to invest in.
Ice Tea and Spring Breeze can ensure total domination by southern forces is avoided, and having napped Bambi de L'Orme at Aintree last week and somehow not managed to get him beaten, Ian Williams' grey has to be the choice in the Hillhouse Quarry Handicap.
Today's best bet is Serengeti, who can keep up Mark Johnston's good start to the turf season by winning on the sand at Lingfield if that doesn't sound too Irish. The Sheikh Mohammed-owned colt has only run twice so far, winning one of his starts and then finishing runner up to Man Of Vision over today's course and distance.
Copper King, the horse that finished last that day has since come out to be beaten in a photo-finish at Nottingham so the form is solid and a one pound rise in the best bet's handicap mark hardly looks excessive.
A field of 23, meanwhile, have been confirmed for Saturday's Scottish Grand National, with David Pipe's Joacci heading the weights following the withdrawals of Halcon Genelerdais, Billyvoddan and Juveigneur.
Also there is Tony McCoy's mount Character Building, whose participation had been in doubt because of the going, and the Donald McCain-trained Idle Talk, who unseated his rider in the Aintree version.
Others bidding for compensation for failing at Liverpool are Ballycassidy and Le Duc, the latter one of four entries for champion trainer Paul Nicholls who, for the past two years, has been denied Scottish jump racing's biggest prize by a short head.
Ferdy Murphy's Nine De Sivola, second to Butler's Cabin in the Irish National at Fairyhouse, will be joined by stablemate Hot Weld, while last year's winner Run For Paddy, recent gamble Parsons Legacy plus Irish challengers A New Story and Another Rum have also stood their ground as has Keith Reveley's fancied runner Rambling Minster.
One absentee is Philip Hobbs' Zabenz, who was originally named in the two dozen declarations but was later scratched after being found to be lame.
The money has recently come for Nine De Sivola, and he is currently 5-1 joint favourite from 7-1 alongside Character Building with the sponsors, Coral. "All the money in recent days has been for Nine De Sivola and it would be no surprise to see him go off clear favourite for the race come race time on Saturday", said Simon Clare, Coral spokesman.
Besides the Craven at Newmarket yesterday, there were more Classic clues on offer at the Rowley Mile, with Yaqeen quoted as short as 8-1 (from 12) with Stan James for the 1,000 Guineas after her win in the Rossdales Maiden Fillies' Stakes.
On a day of fast times, two track records were broken. Asset set a new best for six furlongs with a superb display in the Abernant Stakes and then French raider Manduro did likewise for nine furlongs, routing his field in the Weatherbys Earl Of Sefton Stakes.
Mookhlesa, the 8-1 winner of the Wyck Hall Stud Maiden Fillies Stakes, provided Barry Hills with his first juvenile winner of 2007, and has the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot on her agenda.
MORE RACING, PAGE 59
