As promised, Willie Mullins has sent a ‘battalion’ of runners over to Ayr in Scotland.
Eighteen in total with six of those aiming to make it back-to-back Coral Scottish Grand National (16h35) victories for the Champion trainer.
Flashback – Macdermott ridden by Danny Mullins won the 2024 Coral Scottish Grand National at AYR (Pic – Grossick Racing Photography)
Twenty-three runners will jump away from the four-mile start on ground posted as good to soft.
Chosen Witness, a winner over hurdles at this meeting last season, is currently 11/2 favourite, with stablemates Olympic Man and defending champion Macdermott next at around 8/1 the pair.
The pick of the Mullins bunch on Timeform figures though is Captain Cody; his weight-adjusted 159 rating leaves him only 1lb behind top-rated National Hunt Chase runner-up Rock My Way. He’s currently around 12/1 and gets the services of English champ Harry Cobden with Paul Townend not in town.
Earlier on the card, Ethical Diamond and Bunting represent the Clouston yard in the two-mile Gr2 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle (15h15). The former is best in on official ratings, only 1lb higher than when an eye-catching fourth in the County last month.
He gets the services of National winning rider Patrick Mullins with his cousin Danny taking the ride on the Tony Bloom owned Bunting. Ethical Diamond is fancied to concede weight to his stable companion with the Paul Nichols trained, Harry Cobden ridden Kabral Du Mathan their biggest threat.
Down at Newbury in Berkshire ten promising three-year-olds contest the Gr3 Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (15h35). Run over the straight seven-furlongs this contest is usually used as a prep for the Guineas by the leading Newmarket yards.
Charlie Appley saddles Al Qudra, an impressive Group 2 winner in Qatar in February while Rashabar from the Hannon stable has the best form in the book having run a neck second in the Gr1 juvenile on Arc day.
However, with the fast ground likely to still be in play Chancellor is selected. The well-regarded Gosden runner has won two of his three starts and lost a shoe when running third in the other. He was impressive last time out at Doncaster beating a subsequent winner easily and could line up at Newmarket next month if doing the job here.
