ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Double for Scottish Grand National Day at Ayr

The opener at Newbury is the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes, and I’m hopeful the very classy HAMISH (best price 10/3) will get the better of the favourite Arrest and make it five wins in succession under suitable conditions.

He’s the class act in the field, and he beat Al Qareem with plenty to spare last time out at Newmarket. Even though he’s yet to score in three starts at this course, he’s been beaten just a neck and a head in two of those starts and was very unlucky in the latest of those. 

The other time was when he was just touched off by Trueshan. William Haggas has campaigned him brilliantly over the years, and everything looks in place for this talented seven-time Group 3 winner to enhance his fabulous strike rate by making a winning seasonal reappearance.

Despite only five going to post for the Dubai Duty Free Stakes, this is a cracking renewal, with talent everywhere you turn. Relief Rally has won four of her five starts and is respected, but she might have to settle for a minor role behind the unbeaten FOLGARIA (best price 9/2). 

This filly won all five of her starts when trained in Italy, and her wins came over distances of five furlongs, six furlongs, and a mile. She handles all ground, having won on good, soft, and heavy ground. She impressed in winning a Group 2 last time out and is an appealing bet on her stable debut, with Hollie Doyle booked to ride. 

All six runners in the Scotty Brand Handicap Chase, Ayr’s opener, have a chance. However, the Nicky Henderson-trained PERSIAN TIME (best price 6/1) is the one I am most interested in here. 

This six-year-old did very well over hurdles, winning once and finishing second twice. His only blip came in last year’s high-class renewal of the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle when pulled up. 

Since then, he’s run four times in this sphere and made an encouraging chase debut when he finished second to the 148-rated Djelo at Newbury, who ran a big race to finish third in last month’s Grade 1 Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham. 

He was a touch fortunate to score at Ascot next time out when Authorised Speed fell at the second last fence, but he was gaining on the winner before that rival took a tumble. 

He ran poorly behind Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham next time but bounced back to see off Soul Icon at Kempton around a month ago. This is tougher, but if you take a look at his record away from Cheltenham, then it reads an impressive 122211. 

The likes of Sans Bruit, Tropain Law, and Uncle Phil could take each other on for the lead and ensure this is run at a good pace. With more to come, Nicky Henderson’s charge could be a major player under Nico de Boinville. 

In the CPMS Novices' Champion Handicap Chase, the market appears to have underestimated the chances of the very capable MARBLE SANDS (best price 9/1), who turned in an eye-catching effort on his flat debut last month and has the class to figure, having been trained for the race. 

After winning twice towards the backend of 2022, the eight-year-old has been keeping good company, in which he’s competed in three Grade 1 races and ran well in each of them, including when he finished fifth in the Ballymore and sixth in the Sefton at the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals last season. 

He’s won two of his five chase starts, including on his chase debut at this course, and had excuses in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton. Remember, this horse thumped Ginny’s Destiny over hurdles last year, and he gets on well with Nick Slatter, who can claim his valuable 5Ib.

With the exception of Willie Mullins’ charge, he has the strongest form in the field and is only one of two course winners. Considering his only two starts over three miles were in Grade 1 company, he’s worth another chance over this trip at this much easier level. Four places are widely available and advised. 

Last year’s winner, RUBAUD (best price 10/1), came unstuck in heavy ground in the Kingwell Hurdle last time out. However, with Paul Nicholls sure to do everything in his power to make sure the Jumps’ Trainers’ Championship stays in Ditcheat, the top weight should make a bold bid to defend his crown. 

This prolific six-year-old won four on the spin last year, and he absolutely bolted up in this race twelve months ago, where he set a decent tempo from the front and quickened away from his rivals on the run-in to score by an easy three lengths. If the race were a touch longer, the distance would have been even greater. 

He then added to that with victories at Kempton and Wincanton, with the last of those wins coming in the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle. He’s been given a break since, and that should have freshened him up. Harry Cobden prefers him to Afadil, so although he would ideally be better suited to quicker conditions, he makes plenty of appeal.

The Dan Skelton-trained L’EAU DU SUD (best price 4/1) ran a huge race to finish second in the County Hurdle last month, only finding a Willie Mullins’ plot job too strong in the latter stages, and must have an excellent chance of going one better here. 

This six-year-old has yet to win in six starts for Skelton's, but he has performed with credit in defeat in nearly all of them. He also finished second in the Betfair Hurdle at Haydock in his penultimate start, and the handicapper only nudged him up 3Ib for his latest effort at Cheltenham. 

Even though he’s creeping up the handicap, he is improving with each start, and the ground will be in his favour. He had a few of these in behind last time out, and there’s no reason why any of them should reverse the form, so he should go close to deservedly opening his account. 

Archie Watson’s ARMY ETHOS (best price 15/2) was turned over at short odds on his return when he finished second, which was disappointing, but that run will have blown away the cobwebs, and he remains a top prospect with a lot more to come. 

After an easy win on debut at Ayr, he produced an excellent effort when beaten just a neck into second by River Riber in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. That form has worked out really well, with the fifth, Haatem, bolting up in the Craven Stakes earlier this week. 

That is among the best piece of form on offer in this field, and the step up in trip could unlock further progress. The ground is unknown, but he’s clearly talented, and the bookmakers have him priced up too high here. With four places generally available, he’s a big player under Hollie Doyle. 

Plenty of the runners in the Jordan Electrics Ltd Seafield Trophy Mares' Handicap Hurdle don’t appear to be crying out for three miles, while others have plenty to prove, with the exception of OTTIZZINI (best price 10/1). 

Stuart Crawford’s mare is proven over the distance, and after cruising to a six-length victory in the Scottish Stayers' Novices' Hurdle, despite doing plenty wrong, she went close in a listed race last time out. 

Again, she didn’t help herself by jumping out to the right, in which she forfeited ground, but she kept on well to only be beaten half a length and is surely well handicapped off a mark of 122. I think she has a cracking each-way chance.

Four places are widely available and advised.

This is competitive, but BILL SILVERS (best price 20/1) from the Harry Eustace team is an interesting handicap debutant. He ran well on testing ground at Doncaster when last seen to finish third, and the form of his maiden win has worked out well. 

An opening mark of 95 could be exploitable, and he should get a really nice pace to aim here with Danny Tudhope retained to ride. He could be a Group horse running in a handicap, so with various firms paying five places, he will do for me.