Date: Saturday 22nd April 2023
The Scottish Grand National usually rewards a horse with the right mixture of proven stamina, recent fitness and enough chase experience to cope with a proper staying handicap.
The strongest recent patterns point towards runners aged between seven and ten, carrying between 10 stone and 11 stone 3 pounds, rated 135 or higher and arriving here off a run within the previous 35 days. Previous Ayr form helps, but it is not essential. What matters far more is a horse that has already shown it can win over three miles or further and still has enough tactical pace to hold a position in a big field.
These are the three that come out strongest on the Turf Talk figures.
TURF TALK RATINGS - LEADING CONTENDERS
| Horse | Turf Talk Rating |
|---|---|
| Kitty’s Light | 226 |
| Your Own Story | 214 |
| Undersupervision | 206 |
| Flash De Touzaine | 198 |
| Cooper’s Cross | 191 |
The ratings favour the battle-hardened staying handicappers with plenty of chase experience and enough recent form to suggest they are ready for a race of this nature.
MAIN SELECTION
Kitty’s Light (13/2 available)
He comes out top on the figures and looks the most solid fit with the race trends.
He has the right age, the right rating, proven stamina and enough chase experience to cope with a searching test like this. He also arrives here in exactly the sort of recent form window that has worked very well in the race.
BACKUP SELECTION 1
Your Own Story (8/1 available)
A progressive staying type who makes plenty of sense in the race.
He looks the sort to improve again for this kind of extreme stamina test and comes here with enough chase experience to suggest he can cope. If one of the more proven horses fails to fire, he looks one of the most likely to take advantage.
BACKUP SELECTION 2
Undersupervision (16/1 available)
A bigger-priced runner but one with enough in his favour to make the shortlist.
He has the right type of staying chase background and looks likely to keep finding when others begin to weaken. Not the most fashionable one in the field, but there is enough there to suggest he can outrun his odds.
SUMMARY
Kitty’s Light heads the ratings as the strongest overall fit with the main Scottish Grand National trends, with Your Own Story the progressive danger and Undersupervision the one at a bigger price who could get into the argument if the race turns into a proper stamina test.
