Denman 5/2 for Scottish National

I would guess 5/2 would be a fair price and hard to beat, will certainly add to the attendance.

Denman 'very likely' to run in Scottish National
By Ben Newton 2:50PM 30 MAR 2010

CHELTENHAM Gold Cup runner-up Denman has been entered in the Scottish Grand National and is a "very likely runner" in the £200,000, Coral-sponsored chase at Ayr on April 17, according to trainer Paul Nicholls, provided the ground is not too quick.

"I had a chat with Ruby, Paul [Barber] and Harry [Findlay] and we decided it was the obvious race to go for," Nicholls told racingpost.com on Tuesday.

Denman will have to carry top weight in the race with Madison Du Berlais, from the David Pipe yard, likely to be his closest pursuer in the handicap.

Coral reacted to the news by quoting the Gold Cup runner-up as the 5-2 favourite for the Ayr highlight.

"Denman would be one of the hottest favourites ever for the race. Although his presence would have an impact on the race as a betting heat, that would be more than compensated by the interest this great chaser would generate," said the firm's spokesman David Stevens.

Other notable entries include the Haydock Blue Square Gold Cup winner Silver By Nature, the RSA Chase runner-up Burton Port and William Hill Trophy first and second, Chief Dan George and The Package.

Thats a giveaway price. Ayr racecourse must be one of the easist courses in the land to race over the fences. Thats giving away money Denman will win no question

On the subject of the Grand National, not often the Scottish one has first mention, but that was due to Denman.

Heavy rain expected to fall at Aintree on Monday

AS much as 12mm of rain is forecast to fall on Aintree's Grand National course on Monday, according to the Met Office.

However, the weather is expected to take a turn for the better in the second half of next week in the countdown to the John Smith's-sponsored race on April 10.

A Met Office spokesman said: "Whatever ground conditions at Aintree are like now they are likely to be even softer by the end of Monday after another 12 mm or more of rain. But from midweek onwards things will improve."

Andrew Tulloch, director of racing and clerk of the course at Aintree, told racingpost.com on Thursday: "I walked the courses this morning, and it's soft on the National course, but heavy alongside the canal side and on odds bits coming up to The Chair."

On the Mildmay and hurdle course the ground was on Thursday described as soft, good to soft in places.

Around 30mm of rain has fallen at Aintree since Monday.

Dont want to forget the Irish today!

AP has the 25/1 shot Dancing Tornado, but I will have a go on the well named Hangover at 20/1.

Ground set to be testing for Irish Grand National


STAMINA will be all important for Monday's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse, where the ground was extremely heavy for racing on Sunday.


Conditions are expected to be the same on Monday with between four and five millimetres of rain forecast for Sunday night.

Track manager Caroline Gray said on Sunday afternoon: "The latest forecast we have is for some rain tonight. It is expected to clear by early in the morning and tomorrow is to be mild but breezy. However, we are expecting a lot more rain tomorrow night."

Speaking after racing on Sunday, clerk of the course, Joe Collins, said: "We will be using fresh ground on the hurdle track and, unlike today, we will be using the full width of the fences in all the steeplechases."

BOOKMAKER OFFERS ON THE GRAND NATIONAL

Bet365 BOG, NRNB and 5 places
Betfred NRNB including shops, internet and phone
Blue Square NRNB and 5 places
Boylesports NRNB and 5 places including shops, internet and phone
Coral NRNB including shops, internet and phone
Ladbrokes NRNB including shops, internet and phone
Paddy Power NRNB and 5 places including shops, internet and phone
Stan James BOG and NRNB. Enhanced win-only market
Totesport NRNB including shops, internet and phone
Victor Chandler NRNB and 5 places
William Hill NRNB including shops, internet and phone
888 Sport NRNB and 5 places



BOG= Best odds guaranteed
NRNB= Non-runner no bet
5 places= Bookmaker pays 5 places instead of 4

Bluesea Cracker surprise Irish National winner

Report: Fairyhouse, Monday

Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National Chase (Grade A) 3m5f (5yo+)

BLUESEA CRACKER was the 25-1 surprise winner of the Irish Grand National on Monday, scoring by four and a half lengths under Andrew McNamara.

Oscar Time finished second at 22-1, Whatuthink third at 33-1and Cheltenham Cross Country Chase winner A New Story was fourth at 16-1, in an incident-packed race in which those at the head of the betting again disappointed punters. Only 11 of the 26 runners finished.

Ante-post favourite Saddlers Storm, sent off at 7-1, fell early, sealing the fate of those who were hoping the Tony Martin-trained runner would end the 19-year trend of beaten favourites in Ireland's richest jumps race.

Others who came in for heavy support also disappointed their backers, with Across The Bay unseating and Telenor departing the race early on. Paul Carberry was stood down for rest of the day after banging his knee when unseating from Across The Bay at the second fence. He is expected to ride tomorrow.

One Cool Cookie, Alpha Ridge and Double Dizzy cut out the early pace, but with Double Dizzy another casualty and Alpha Ridge fading very tamely, Aidan Coleman and Officier De Reserve took things up.

Moskova and Barry Geraghty made eyecatching headway down the back straight, but the mare, who was hampered badly when Telanor fell, found little for pressure and was pulled up.

Turning for home there were several still in with chances as they spread across the track, with top-weight Siegemaster putting in a game effort before falling at the last when beaten.

Bluesea Cracker held a prominent position throughout the race, with McNamara hugging the inside rail, saving every yard inthe testing conditions. Jumping three out, Bluesea Cracker - the first mare to win the race since Ebony Jane in 1993 - didn't look the most likely winner, though, as Will Jamie Run and Oscar Time were still travelling well.

However, Will Jamie Run began to fade between the third and second-last, leaving Oscar Time and Robbie Power to try to serve it up to Bluesea Cracker.

As they came up the straight the 11lb Oscar Time had to concede to the winner began to take its toll, and after jumping the last, McNamara began to pull away.

The comfortable success earned Bluesea Cracker a quote of 33-1 for next year's Grand National from William Hill.

For winning trainer James Motherway it was by far the biggest win of a career which began with point-to-pointers and has yielded three winners so far this season.

He said: "We have only 13 horses in training, fewer than we had, and that is down to the economic times we are in."

Of Bluesea Cracker, he added: "Myself and Andy [McNamara, jockey] were anxious going out that she'd get home in the soft ground, but she came home full of herself in the end.

"I'd imagine that will be her finished for the season. Punchestown is going to come a bit soon forher.

"We have to say a big thanks to all at home, especially Michelle, who looks after her, and Sonia, who's staying at home to look after the place.

"All credit to Andy, who got down to his lowest weightfor this ride. When he pulled up he was all-out.


McNamara added: "I jumped out into a good position, but there were two horses I didn't want to be tracking and both of them were in front of me going to the second.

"Turning in I wasn't where I wanted to be either, but she quickened well."

The jockey, who put up 1lb overweight on the winner, said: "To be honest, I was doing light and feeling very weak and when I tried to gather my reins I dropped my stick, which I thought would cost us. Luckily it didn't."

65 stand their ground
for Grand National


THERE were no surprises at Monday's confirmation stage for Saturday's John Smith's Grand National.

Notre Pere, Air Force One and Razor Royale were the highest-profile absentees from a list of 65 confirmed entries, but all three had already been declared doubtful.

Cerium, a 100-1 chance when excelling himself in fifth place a year ago, is the last horse guaranteed to make the cut in a race with a maximum field of 40.

The 2007 winner Silver Birch needs three to come out if he is to get a run. Less likely to get a run is last month's William Hill Chase winner Chief Dan George, who needs nine to come out.

The full list of horses who were not confirmed is Notre Pere, Air Force One, Deutschland, Chelsea Harbour, Dooney's Gate, Equus Maximus, Lennon, Razor Royale, Anothercoppercoast and Cossack Dancer.

Totesport have cut The Package to 14-1 (from 16) and Ballyholland to 28-1 (from 33).

Denman ruled out of Scottish Grand National

DENMAN, 5-2 favourite with the sponsor for the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday, was on Sunday night ruled out ofthe race by trainer Paul Nicholls.

The likelihood of quicker than ideal ground was the reason put forward by Nicholls, who will now prepare this year's Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up for the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown a week on Wednesday.

"I spoke to [joint-owner] Paul Barber, and basically it's going to be a dry, warm, windy week," said Nicholls.


"Even if Ayr water, the ground is not going to be right for him, so we have made an early decision not to run - that will make life a darn sight easier for everyone else planning for the race."

That comment relates to Denman's presence keeping all bar three other entries out of the handicap, which will now assume a more conventional look.



Denman's last nine wins, dating to November 2006, have all been on going descriptions which have included the word ‘soft', 'heavy' or 'yielding' - and conditions will also be a factor in whether he bids to sign off his campaign in style next week.

With Ruby Walsh ruled out of the Punchestown festival through injury, Tony McCoy, who partnered Denman at Cheltenham last month, could well renew the partnership at Punchestown, with his boss JP McManus not represented in the Guinness Gold Cup.

Very doubtful stayer imo,couldn`t really see the benefit in him running?

FINAL FIELD

Murphy magic helps Merigo land National


Report: Ayr, Saturday

Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 3) 4m½f, 5yo+

THERE was an overdue Scottish winner of the Scottish National on Saturday as Merigo ran away with the £144,000 prize for trainer Andrew Parkerand jockey Timmy Murphy.

Not since Cockle Strand's victory for trainer Ken Oliver in 1982 has Scotland's biggest chase been won by the home team, but it looked like the drought would be over as soon as 18-1 chance Merigo shot clear of the field at the fourth-last.

The only shred of doubt came in the shape of last year's runner-up and 15-2 favourite Gone To Lunch, who began to make inroads into Merigo's lead after emerging from the chasing pack.

However, Murphy, also successful in the preceding Scottish Champion Hurdle on Overturn, had engineered an unassailable lead and kept last year's Eider Chase winner going to the line to notch a famous family win for his father-in-law and owner Raymond Anderson Green.

"This means a lot, means everything.It's the one race I've always wanted to win. To do it, is briliant," said a delighted Anderson Green, who, together with the trainer, made the decision to withdraw Merigo from last year's race due to the fast ground.

Parker added: ""He jumps and he gallops and he would have gone around again if he had to. Fair play to Ayr. They did a fantastic job of watering and made the ground safe."


Turning out for the final circuit, Murphy had Merigo travelling and jumping in a smooth rhythm alongside Razor Royale at the head of affairs, with No Panic and Killyglen also prominent.

Killyglen, tackling a marathon trip for the first time, was the first of that group to wilt and a couple of fences later Razor Royale began to feel the pinch.

However, it was turning for home that the complexion of the race swung in Merigo's favour as Murphy kicked on aboard the nine-year-old. Although Gone To Lunch briefly threatened, he had to settle for second again, with No Panic (40-1) and Razor Royale (20-1) also making the frame.

Jeremy Scott, trainer of Gone To Lunch said: "It's frustrating to finish second again, but it's lovely to have him back to near his best and know we have a horse to go to war with with again."

Denman bids to sign off season with Gold glory

DENMAN bids to end a rollercoaster season in style when he tackles 11 rivals in the Grade 1 Guinness Gold Cup at the Punchestown festival on Wednesday, with trainer Paul Nicholls "fairly confident he's in tip-top form."

Denman, the winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup under a crushing 11st 12lb last November and the hero of 15 of his 21 career starts, lines up on the back of a gallant second to Imperial Commander in the Totesport CheltenhamGold Cup - a race he landed in 2008 - less than five weeks ago.

Sandwiched between those two performances was the famous Berkshire blip when he unseated Tony McCoy at the third-last of Newbury's Aon Chase as scorching-hot 1-6 favourite.

McCoy, who maintained the partnership at the Cheltenham Festival, again takes the mount as Nicholls bids for a third win in the valuable 3m1f event which he secured with Neptune Collonges in 2007 and 2008.

The Ditcheat trainer is upbeat about the prospect of a dazzling Denman performance to round off an up-and-down campaign. "He is not getting any younger and hasn't had that hard a season so we were keen to give him another run," Nicholls said.

"He was slow coming to hand in the spring and he looks better now than he did at Cheltenham, where he ran a blinding race but probably not as well as in the Hennessy, which has turned out to be fantastic form.

"He looks after himself a bit these days, so he didn't have as hard a race in the Gold Cup as he might have had. It's the end of a long season and going right-handed would be a bit of a concern - although he has won at Wincanton and Exeter - but we're fairly confident he's in tip-top form so we're looking forward to the race."

War Of Attrition, one of Ireland's favourite jump horses and winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup himself in 2006, is due to make the final appearance of a glittering career, and there won't be a dry eye in the packed Punchestown stands if Mouse Morris's valiant 11-year-old - twice a winner over hurdles this campaign - signs off with victory.

Notre Pere, who won the race by 13 lengths a year ago, attempts a repeat success, while Willie Mullins is represented by his Cheltenham Gold Cup fifth, Cooldine, and J'y Vole who was hampered when finishing third in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last month.

Tranquil Sea, ultra-impressive winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in December, has to prove his stamina, while Barbers Shop, a first runner over jumps in Ireland for the Queen, and the Philip Hobbs-trained Planet Of Sound - who will be equipped with a tongue tie for the first time - join Denman in a three-strong raiding party.

Barry Geraghty, who rides the Nicky Henderson-trained Barbers Shop, has won the race three times, most recently on Kicking King in 2005.