Three horses suited by the drying ground at Ayr - including a 33-1 shot in the Scottish National

Three horses suited by drying ground at Ayr - including a 33-1 shot in the Scottish National

Lord Accord: best form on a sound surfaceCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Jockeys felt it rode good ground at Ayr on Friday, with officials applying 5mm of water to the track after racing. The going has changed to good, good to soft in places (from good to soft, good in places) on Saturday morning, and improved to good on the chase course after the card was under way, and here are three runners on Scottish National day who will be suited by the drying conditions . . .

Elixir De Nutz (1.15 Ayr)

This Joe Tizzard-trained chaser has form figures of 122 on good ground over fences and an overall record of three wins and three seconds from seven starts on a sound surface.

He failed to fire when ninth in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival last time but that was on soft ground and his previous second in the Game Spirit Chase on good ground is eyecatching form in the context of this handicap chase.

Elixir De Nutz13:15 Ayr

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Jky: Brendan Powell Tnr: Joe Tizzard

Forward Plan (1.50 Ayr)

Hat-trick bid was foiled on soft ground at Kelso last time but Forward Plan's form figures in handicaps over hurdles and fences on good ground read 22211.

The Anthony Honeyball-trained seven-year-old could still be ahead of the handicapper. He runs off an official mark of 125 and recorded a Racing Post Rating of 130 on his most recent good-ground win at Southwell last month.

Forward Plan13:50 Ayr

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Jky: Ben Godfrey (3lb)Tnr: Anthony Honeyball

Lord Accord (3.35 Ayr)

This chaser has not won on easier conditions than good to soft, with seven of his top ten RPRs recorded on good ground or quicker.

His best RPR came when second to Frodon in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase on quick ground at Wincanton in November and he is officially rated 1lb below that effort after two disappointing runs on soft ground at Cheltenham. He could well bounce back to his best with conditions to suit.