Is It All In The Stars
Ante-post favourite All In The Stars heads a full field of 30 runners for the Gala Casinos Daily Record Scottish Grand National at Ayr today.
Paul Keane’s Country Gentlemen’s Association Chase winner will be having his first start since February in the four-mile, one-furlong test.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Royal Auclair tops the weights.
And the champion trainer-elect is also responsible for the well-fancied Ladalko and L’Aventure.
Betfair Bowl second Take The Stand will take his chance for Barry Geraghty, with Tony McCoy aboard Darkness, Richard Johnson on Zabenz and Mick Fitzgerald taking the mount on Juveigneur.
Martin Pipe saddles Korelo and Lord Atterbury, while John Smith’s Grand National fourth Nil Desperandum will take his chance alongside other fancied runners Idle Talk, Halcon Genelardis and Royal Emperor.
But last year’s winning jockey and trainer combination of Keith Mercer and Ferdy Murphy, who triumphed with Joes Edge, will not be represented after National Hunt Chase winner Hot Weld was withdrawn on Friday, with reserve Robbo taking his place.
Len Lungo’s The Bajan Bandit and Lucinda Russell’s Kerry Lads aim for the first tartan triumph since 1982.
The Bajan Bandit, owned by the Stevenson family, is a 16/1 shot (Tote) and Kerry Lads, owned by East Lothian’s Anne Greig, is rated at 25/1. Ayr officials expect a 15,000 crowd for Scotland’s premier jumps prize.
