Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Saturday.
Three points of interest
Scottish Grand National focus of trainers’ championship
The Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase (3.35) takes centre stage at Ayr on Saturday on a day when Willie Mullins will be hoping to bridge the ever-shrinking gap to Dan Skelton in the race to be 2024/25 British champion jumps trainer.
Before racing on Friday, Skelton’s lead was over £120,000, and with both trainers likely to be over the £3million mark by the end of the weekend, it’s been a successful season for both yards regardless.
Mullins – who, unsurprisingly has the Timeform ‘Hot Trainer’ flag at present - has the first three in the betting for the Scottish Grand National, including last year’s winner Macdermott who looks to have been tee’d up for this assignment once more, for all he faces much quicker ground than 12 months ago.
Handicap debutant Chosen Witness was very well-backed earlier in the week as he tackles a marathon trip for the first time, while Olympic Man’s jumping hasn’t always impressed but he’s another unexposed sort stepping up in trip and has man of the moment Patrick Mullins on-board for the first time.
While it’s obviously worth noting that the race has a different complexion given the context of the trainers’ championship and a new-found attention from Mullins Snr, it’s not a race that the yard had done well in before last season, and let’s not forget that oft-quoted stat about the yard having failed to win a handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Last year’s runner-up Surrey Quest – who was only beaten a nose – is back for another crack, while the race looks a good fit for fellow domestic challengers Henry’s Friend, Our Power and Rock My Way.
It’s those runners, perhaps, rather than Skelton’s duo of Sail Away and Snipe, who may provide the stiffest opposition to the latest Closutton raiding party.
Classic clues at Newbury?
The Dubai Duty Free Stakes (Registered As The Fred Darling Stakes) takes place at 2.00 at on Saturday and may well cause some ripples in the ante-post market for next month’s 1000 Guineas, though it has a mixed history as a trial.
The last participant to go on to win at Newmarket was Elmalka, who was third – beaten a neck and a neck - behind Folgaria last year, but before that it was Lahan in 2000 who was fourth at Newbury before winning at HQ.
Fred Darling winners don’t have a strong record at all, as you have to go all the way back to 1999 for the last horse – Wince – to do the double.
Of Saturday’s runners, the unexposed duo of Bright Times Ahead (33/1) and Formal (50/1) have the potential to shorten more drastically than 33/1 shots Simmering and Heavens Gate given their profiles, for all the latter pair may be more likely winners this weekend.
Thirty-five minutes later, the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes (2.35) sees the colts with Classic aspirations in the spotlight.
Night Of Thunder (2014) and Chaldean (2023) ‘ran’ in this race prior to success at Newmarket, though Chaldean unshipped Frankie Dettori in the stalls, with Night Of Thunder’s defeat by Kingman here turned around less than a month later.
The last horse to do the Greenham/2000 Guineas double?
The 2011 winner, sire of Chaldean (amongst many other Group 1 winners), and Timeform's highest-rated Flat horse in the firm's history: Frankel.
There doesn’t appear to be superstar in this year’s field, but it looks a better renewal than that won by the gelding Esquire 12 months ago, with a trio of Horses In Focus – Noble Champion, Saracen and Rogue Allegiance – joining the similarly unexposed Jonquil and Chancellor in taking on the more battle-hardened duo of Rashabar and Al Qudra.
Jan Brueghel back in action; interesting Burke raider at the Curragh
Saturday’s card at the Curragh sees St Leger winner Jan Brueghel return to action in the Tote.ie Alleged Stakes (4.35), though on weight-adjusted Timeform ratings he faces a stern test on reappearance from stablemate Tower Of London, with the caveat that both horses are likely to race over further later in the season.
Hoping to take advantage of any rustiness/lack of tactical speed will be Crystal Black, who improved massively in an unbeaten 2024, a couple of interesting French recruits in Sons And Lovers and Wahdan who make their debuts for Joseph O’Brien who also runs Galen, and fellow course winner Crypto Force who completes the seven-strong field.
Earlier in the card, Karl Burke has an interesting runner in Bright Thunder in the Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Express Stakes (3.25).
Last seen finishing sixth in the Atalanta Stakes at Sandown in August, the Night Of Thunder filly won first time out last season and – fitted with a tongue-tie for the first time – is Burke’s 30th runner in Ireland in the last five years. Five of those won, five placed, and Bright Thunder looks a fascinating runner in a competitive race.
Amongst her rivals are Azada, a winner at Naas when last seen in October returning for a yard in great form, One Look, who represents another stable flying at present, and top-rated Naomi Lapaglia, who makes her debut for Ger Lyons after racing for Richard Spencer last season.
Two of the last three renewals have been won by three-year-olds, who receive a heft weight-for-age allowance from their elders, and Aidan O’Brien will be hopeful that one of his trio can follow in the footsteps of Brilliant who won the race 12 months ago for Ballydoyle.
The most likely looks to be Whirl who progressed again when making all in a Group 3 over C&D at the end of last season and is the chosen mount of Ryan Moore.
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