From Cheltenham to Ayr: the eight horses back in action after a quick turnaround

The Saturday of Ayr's Scottish Grand National meeting comes just 15 days after the conclusion of the Cheltenham Festival, but eight runners are set to take their chance with a relatively quick turnaround. Here are a handful of those taking in another big spring meeting following the festival.

Dusart
1.50 Ayr

Ronnie Bartlett’s seven-year-old steps into significantly shallower waters in Scotland when running in the CPMS Novices' Champion Handicap Chase.

A talented novice hurdler who finished third in Grade 1 company at Aintree last spring, he won two small-field races to start off with over fences but was not able to live with the quality of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase field, finishing more than 14 lengths behind L’Homme Presse in fifth.

Dusart: winner of two of his three starts over fencesCredit: Edward Whitaker

West Cork
2.25 Ayr

This eight-year-old won the Greatwood Hurdle in November, a race that has worked out superbly, and was sent off just 13-2 to double up in the County Hurdle at the festival.

Harry Skelton confidently held him up, tracking the winner State Man for large parts. However, he was unable to go with that rival and finished a respectable fourth. He is up 1lb for that effort and it would not be a surprise if he could return to winning ways just 15 days later.

Il Ridoto
3.00 Ayr

A smart novice chaser, Il Ridoto was probably not seen to best effect in the Grand Annual when finishing eighth, 31 lengths behind Global Citizen. He was held up in a race where the leaders did not come back.

Paul Nicholls considered him good enough to run in Grade 1 company at Sandown in December and while he failed to live up to expectations then, there is a sense there is more to come from the five-year-old. It could be the return to a sounder surface helps.

3.35 Ayr

Nigel Twiston-Davies has won the Scottish Grand National three times with Captain Dibble (1992), Earth Summit (1994) and Hello Bud (2009) and Fantastikas looks a decent contender to become his fourth.

A general 12-1 chance, the seven-year-old has won two of his five starts over fences this season and produced decent placed efforts in Graded company behind Threeunderthrufive and L’Homme Presse. He travelled well for a long way in the Ultima and could prove better than a mark of 143.

And the remaining four . . .

Kiltealy Briggs failed to fire as a 40-1 chance in the Ultima and was pulled up, but returns to novice company in the Grade 2 Jordan Electrics Ltd Future Champion Novices' Chase (3.00). Only five runners have been declared and that could play to his strengths, with his two chase wins coming in four-runner fields.

Vintage Cloudswon the Ultima last year but did not fare so well this time around and was pulled up. Now a 12-year-old, he is set for his fourth run in the Coral Scottish Grand National (3.35) having finished seventh, third and sixth on his previous attempts.

Scottish Grand National card and betting

Streets Of Doyen will also try to return to form in the Scottish Grand National after being pulled up in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. He has a perfect record at Ayr having won a bumper at the course in 2019.

Call Me Harry won his first two bumpers at Musselburgh and Newcastle but never figured in the Champion Bumper when sent off a 125-1 outsider. He faces a significant drop in class (5.15) but will not want to be as keen as he was at the festival.

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