SHOTGUN Willy, pulled up after being sent off favourite for the Grand National, is highly unlikely to mount a quick recovery mission in the Scottish version at Ayr this weekend.
Paul Nicholls’ gelding, the 7-1 jolly at Aintree, has been declared for Saturday’s Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National, but is likely to miss the race, according to his owner Graham Roach.
The weights are set to go up by 7lbs and Ro
ach feels his charge would face a formidable task with 11st12lbs. If Shotgun Willy defects then the weights will go up a further 16lbs, with Stormez heading the handicap. Roach said: "I don’t think he’ll go to Ayr, and from now on his programme will be governed by where he gets soft ground."
The Martin Pipe-trained Take Control, last year’s winner, is again reported on course for the £110,000 contest, alongside stable companion Stormez.
Philip Hobbs’ Gunther McBride, third in the race last year, missed the Grand National to wait for Ayr and will appreciate the current dry underfoot conditions. He will be joined in the line-up by stable companion Enrique.
SCOTTISH GRAND NATIONAL BETTING
Blue Square: 9-2 Gunther McBride, 7-1 Haut Cercy, 8-1 Stormez, 9-1 Sudden Shock, 12-1 Scots Grey, Ryalux, 14-1 Another General, Enrique, Last Option, 16-1 Spendid, Carryonharry, 20-1 Take Control, 25-1 bar.
Dick Allan must be training Mister Chishum on the tartan side of the country judging by the way he has improved since arriving in his new home in Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland. Allan’s stable is so close to the border, part of his gallops are in Scotland the rest England, but the way the seven-year-old scored at Kelso yesterday it’s fairly obvious that he has been doing his homework.
Without a victory in 18 attempts prior to joining his current handler the gelding has been a revelation in the past few weeks, kicking off his winning sequence at Ayr and Newcastle before landing his hat-trick at the Borders track.
Already set to rise in the handicap, this latest success will do nothing to help Mister Chishum’s future rating but Allan is hoping there’s still enough left in the tank to squeeze out another win at Perth later this month.
Anyone at the track who spotted Peter Easterby might have taken the hint that the former Yorkshire trainer hadn’t made the trip north for his first visit to the course in over 50 years, for nothing. If so, they were well rewarded.
Deputising for son Tim, Easterby saddled three winners with 1-4 shot King’s Bounty never looking in danger of defeat as he landed the opener although Tribal Dispute’s triumph in the next was much less clear cut.
Russ Garritty’s mount looked set to pick up Gastornis whenever the jockey wanted to do so having got to the front he then found that rival battling all the way to the line and it was only by a nostril that the joint favourite got up.
The third leg of the Easterby treble came in the last where Minivet survived some traffic problems in the run in to pip Plenty Courage who may have struggled to hold on to the race had he prevailed.
Kelso’s leading jockey Tony Dobbin didn’t fare too well on a couple of fancied rides for Len Lungo, but he made no mistake on Damien’s Choice who stopped long time leader The Negotiator before easing to the front to beat the running on Bit O Magic.
Lungo did make it on to the score sheet courtesy of Dunrig in the first of the two Hunter Chases on the card, with the winner providing Northern Ireland amateur Michael McAlister with his first success over jumps.
Geordie’s Express took the other Hunter’s Chase in the hands of Dale Jewett as he added another victory to the one achieved at Aintree last week in the Foxhunter’s.
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