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Saturday's Ayr tips
- 2.25 Ayr – First Street each-way (4 places) @ 16/1 with BetMGM
- 3.35 Ayr – Mr Vango each-way (5 places) @ 16/1 with Betfred
- 3.35 Ayr – My Silver Lining each-way (5 places) @ 16/1 with bet365
The Trainers' Championship is a nail-biting battle as the National Hunt season winds down to its conclusion over the next couple of weekends. Dan Skelton, Paul Nicholls, and Willie Mullins are locked in fierce competition, each vying for the top spot in terms of prize money won.
All three trainers are strong contenders in Saturday's two most lucrative races at Ayr: The Scottish Grand National at 3.35 (£112,000 to the winner) and the Scottish Champion Hurdle (£56,000) at 2.25, both live on ITV1.
Mullins is fielding two of the market leaders on UK betting sites for the National, Macdermott and Mr Incredible, among his representatives.
Dan Skelton will have high hopes for Sail Away, while Nicholls has a strong hand with Stay Away Fay. As capable as all four are, they are all beatable, and from a betting point of view, it may pay to side with the relatively unexposed Mr Vango and the ever-consistent My Silver Lining.
Scottish Grand National tips
Mr Vango, who can be backed at 16/1 on horse racing betting apps, was a decent hurdler but has shown marked improvement since switching to the chasing game. He has run with great credit in three races this season.
His best effort came in the Devon National at Exeter towards the end of February, where he galloped the opposition into the ground as he strolled home 60 lengths clear.
Last month, he took a big step up in class when contesting the Amateur Jockeys’ Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham Festival. Although well beaten in the end, he went well for a long way and was far from disgraced in finishing third.
He looks very well handicapped for the Scottish National and should have no trouble seeing out the four-mile trip under such a handy weight. A natural front-runner, jockey Ben Jones, who was aboard at Exeter, will send him on early, and he may not prove to be the easiest to get to when the chips are down in the closing stages.
Most horse racing betting sites offer the first five places for the Scottish Grand National each-way market, and given what Mr Vango has already achieved, he should not be pushed to make the top five.
My Silver Lining is a model of consistency. This season, she has yet to finish outside the top three in her six races. Her last three runs have been in top-class handicap company, with her most significant success at Warwick in January.
She put in another superb performance when second to a fast-improving sort at Haydock in February. In March, she ran equally well in the four-mile, two-furlong Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
Ayr’s slightly shorter National trip will be just about perfect for My Silver Lining, and the 16/1 offered by gambling sites may prove generous for a mare that is clearly on top of her game this season.
Scottish Grand National Tip 1: 3.35 Ayr – Mr Vango each-way (5 places) @ 16/1 with Betfred
Scottish Grand National Tip 2: 3.35 Ayr – My Silver Lining each-way (5 places) @ 16/1 with bet365
Scottish Champion Hurdle tip
Leading trainer Nicky Henderson had a nightmare at the Cheltenham Festival when most of his string were clearly not right. Many were withdrawn from their long-held objectives, and those that did run were, in the main, never at the races.
The cause for some well-below performances has never been explained. Still, the Seven Barrows maestro has fared better since and can gain some further compensation with First Street taken to bounce back to his best in the Scottish Champion Hurdle after being withdrawn at Cheltenham.
He has been running with great credit in top-class company at distances of around two miles, and he would certainly not be out of place in landing a handicap of this nature. The 16/1 available on betting apps on the Nico de Bonville-ridden progressive seven-year-old is unlikely to last for long.
Tip 3: 2.25 Ayr – First Street each-way (4 places) @ 16/1 with BetMGM
Free bets for the Scottish Grand National
Our racing tipster has been in fine form of late after successes in both the Grand National and Irish National, and for those wanting to follow his selections, you may be eligible for free bets via the latest sign-up offers.
Bet365 are giving new customers up to £30 in free bets when they register using the bet365 bonus code INDY2024.
Next, deposit between £5 and £10 and bet365 will give you three times the value of your first deposit in free bets. So, to claim the full £30 in free bets, you'll need to deposit and place an initial wager of £10 or more.
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Last Updated: 18th April 2024, 06:00 PM
