scottish grand national.

So did I for the Will Hill Trophy

Course specialist Merigo looks on a decent mark 6 lbs below his 2nd last year.

Fruity for me too but the owners are also considering the 3 mile chase on Grand National day so wait to see where he goes first. I was on E/W @ 33-1 at the festival and he ran a blinder. I dont normally like backing a horse for that race which ran at Cheltenham but he will have had a good break and if you look back over the past 10 years plenty of winners of the SGN either made all or were up with the pace so he looks ideal for the race. The other one at a price is Benny Be Good who has been dropped a handy 8 lbs in his last 2 races despite not running too badly. This has been the aim all season and his run in the fixed brush hurdle at Haydock reads very well.

Portrait King, Merigo and Lie Forritt my three against the field in that order.

Scottish Grand National - Winner  2012-04-21
Favourites:    Harry The Viking (7) , Ikorodu Road (12) , Junior (12) , Merigo (12) , Portrait King (12) , Galaxy Rock (14) , Lie Forrit (14) , Shakalakaboomboom (14) , The Package (14) , Alfie Sherrin (16) , Always Right (16) , Ballabriggs (16) , Burton Port (16) , Knockara Beau (16) , West End Rocker (16) , Any Currency (20) , Carruthers (20) , Fruity Orooney (20) , Mostly Bob (20) , Our Island (20)  - Others  20 or more

HORSE     AGE     WGT     TRAINER RTF%     JOCKEY     OR     TS     RPR
    P/FP33     Abbeybraney49     11     9-2     George Bewley         128     112     167
    PF7513     Alfie Sherrin12     9     9-10     Jonjo O´Neill         136     152     170
    13-1PP     Always Right63     10     10-7     John Wade         147     141     173
    2-3P47     Any Currency84     9     9-5     Martin Keighley         131     129     167
    P2F-60     Arbor Supreme129     10     10-4     Jonjo O´Neill         144     —     —
    0-0631     Auroras Encore14     10     10-3     Sue Smith         143     156     175
    1121-4     Ballabriggs49     11     11-6     Donald McCain         160     95     152
    2UP63     Ballyfitz35     12     8-12     Nigel Twiston-Davies         124     153     165
    3P-PP7     Be There In Five37     8     9-6     Nicky Henderson         132     124     163
    601172     Bellflower Boy18     9     8-6     Dr Richard Newland         118     —     147
    224635     Benny Be Good28     9     10-9     Keith Reveley         149     179     182
    1/2-24     Burton Port36     8     11-12     Nicky Henderson         166     160     173
    25411     Cadogan34     12     9-10     J T R Dreaper         136     138     169
    2P/133     Cappa Bleu63     10     10-7     Evan Williams         147     152     173
    444423     Captain Americo56     10     8-12     James Ewart         124     145     158
    9-31P0     Carruthers36     9     10-9     Mark Bradstock         149     168     174
    F41033     Carsonstown Boy27     8     8-1     C A McBratney         113     68     150
    4P6226     Categorical56     9     9-1     Keith Reveley         127     122     159
    U4P-P6     Chernik37     11     6-7     Micky Hammond         91     69     103
    0-6600     Chief Dan George133     12     8-13     James Moffatt         125     124     141
    48/216     Cloudy Lane36     12     9-0     Donald McCain         126     —     —
    U34-1F     Deep Purple56     11     10-12     Evan Williams         152     91     178
    7F535F     Etxalar14     9     8-2     Lucinda Russell         114     96     151
    1/4512     Fabalu20     10     9-3     Donald McCain         129     72     162
    U26345     Fair Along49     10     9-9     Philip Hobbs         135     170     177
    952P0     Fredo37     8     9-3     Ian Williams         129     101     164
    62132     Fruity O´Rooney39     9     10-5     Gary Moore         145     157     174
    31P43     Galaxy Rock28     8     10-4     Jonjo O´Neill         144     149     177
    522661     Garleton23     11     10-0     Maurice Barnes         140     141     170
    1-5318     Gurtacrue37     7     8-12     Evan Williams         124     120     155
    522344     Harry Flashman14     11     8-5     Donald Whillans         117     135     152
    11112     Harry The Viking38     7     10-3     Paul Nicholls         143     157     174
    PU85U3     Heez A Steel18     11     7-5     George Charlton         103     98     135
    P52211     Ikorodu Road28     9     10-1     Matt Sheppard         141     154     170
    1-U412     Isla Pearl Fisher14     9     7-13     N W Alexander         111     110     144
    321-82     Junior49     9     11-4     David Pipe         158     142     171
    030341     Killyglen35     10     10-1     S R B Crawford         141     154     174
    PP7FF6     King Fontaine28     9     9-1     Malcolm Jefferson         127     113     143
    026326     Knockara Beau36     9     10-7     George Charlton         147     170     177
    0P7113     Le Beau Bai63     9     10-0     Richard Lee         140     159     173
    P9/122     Lie Forrit75     8     9-12     William Amos         138     112     168
    213319     Lively Baron38     7     8-13     Donald McCain         125     151     164
    F31214     Mac Aeda49     8     9-4     Malcolm Jefferson         130     109     160
    70801     Merigo43     11     9-8     Andrew Parker         134     129     169
    5-F317     Midnight Chase36     10     11-9     Neil Mulholland         163     158     173
    P-5510     Mostly Bob37     9     9-7     Philip Hobbs         133     144     168
    292658     Our Island38     7     9-4     Tim Vaughan         130     157     159
    23680     Pettifour37     10     9-4     Nigel Twiston-Davies         130     —     —
    630211     Portrait King56     7     10-0     M Phelan         140     161     178
    341229     Posh Bird35     9     8-11     Peter Niven         123     146     159
    48-121     Problema Tic35     6     9-11     Nicky Henderson         137     150     168
    3-212     Quentin Collonges35     8     9-8     Henry Daly         134     147     168
    6-2142     Red Harbour43     8     8-12     Lucinda Russell         124     138     160
    31300P     Rivage D´Or72     7     9-5     D T Hughes         131     144     160
    7-1122     Shakalakaboomboom41     8     10-9     Nicky Henderson         149     141     172
    F124U     State Benefit38     7     9-2     Nicky Henderson         128     144     156
    U5/5-4     The Package39     9     9-13     David Pipe         139     156     173
    6U-325     Tidal Bay64     11     11-0     Paul Nicholls         154     158     176
    B-2110     Vic Venturi69     12     9-11     D T Hughes         137     165     171
    7-1345     Walkon38     7     10-8     Alan King         148     149     176
    1PB-P1     West End Rocker140     10     10-9     Alan King         149     165     174
    23005P     Western Charmer12     10     9-13     D T Hughes         139     168     176

Seems a good time to kick start this thread now. Looks like a whole host of runners will come out at the 5 day stage tomorrow and unless Junior runs again after his early fall in the National then it looks like Benny Be Good will carry topweight. As Ive mentioned on a previous thread it looks like we will have good ground at worst with GF looking fav unless significant rain falls which doesnt look likely.
Fruity O Rooney confirmed as a definite runner although its worth remembering that he missed the Racing Post CHase and Grimthorpe because of the fast ground so they will be looking to the CotC to pour the water on.
Any Currency also goes due to missing the cut in the National.
Galaxy Rock looks like going to Sandown if the prices on here are anything to go by although Im sure Jonjo said the SN was its next target so we'll see with that.
Personally I like Benny Be Good. This has been the target since he missed the Skybet due to being rated too high. The trainer thought he could win that off 150 but ended up on 155! However due to a couple of James Reveley special rides and plenty of moaning about his mark he's managed to get him down to 149. Having looked at previous runnings of the race ive discovered that:
In the last 15 years six horses have carried top weight having been rated between 150-140. Three of them won - Belmont King 16-1, Young Kenny 5-2 and Grey Abbey 12-1. Another, Gone To Lunch, just failed to get up at 12-1. None of those horses ran at Aintree. The other two, Earthmover (PU) and Idle Talk (UR when beaten) both did. At 25-1 he rates good each way value.

Of the others Portrait King could be anything and was put away after the Eider for this and I would have been against Harry The Viking as horses who ran in the 4miler at Cheltenham had, up until last year, a poor record in the race. Interestingly that winner Beshabar, like many previous winners, had won at Doncaster. Unfortunately so has HTV so he has strong claims if still in form.
Lively Barron had looked a non stayer before he ran in the 4 miler and will hopefully go for the 3 mile novice chase on the same card.

Cant help but feel this will be a step too far for Ikorudo Road after a great run of late and Knockara Beau on the whole has looked to enjoy hurdles much more than fences as he always seems to belt at least one and Ayr is definitely a track where you need to get in a rhythm.

So for me its BBG e/w and Fruity O Rooney if the grounds no faster than good. Good luck all and see you there!