Ground quickens for Scottish National

Published on Wednesday 16 April 2008 23:48

TRAINERS who feared bottomless ground for Saturday's Scottish Grand National may sleep a little bit easier in their beds tonight.

Forecasts earlier in the week suggested the going at the Craigie track this weekend would be of the stamina- sapping variety, but it appears conditions may not be quite as testing as first thought.

Yesterday, clerk of the course Katherine Self changed the going from heavy, soft in places to soft, heavy in places, but with a further spell of decent weather predicted, it's likely to dry out still further between now and race time.

"It's definitely drying out and we have less rain forecast in the next 48 hours than was thought. If it continues like this, it will be better than we thought," said Self.

Which will be good news for connections of horses such as Noir Et Vert and Butler's Cabin whose participation in the National had been in doubt because of worries over the going.

Not so chuffed, though, will be the likes of Flintoff's owners who were heading to the West of Scotland expecting things to be pretty much the same as they were when I used to go on holiday to Ayr – wet and dreich.

The final make-up of the 30-strong field has still be to be sorted out, but with the David Pipe pair of Celestial Gold and Vodka Bleu both in action at Cheltenham 24 hours ago, they can be safely scrubbed, which will leave a maximum of four runners competing off their proper handicap mark.

Paul Nicholls' Opera Mundi is one of that select group, and Nicholls said: "He schooled very well this morning and everything seems to have worked in his favour with the top-weight staying in.

"I'd have been gutted if we hadn't kept him for this race now.

"I'm absolutely delighted with the way the ground is up there and you can discount his last run completely as he couldn't go on the ground that day. The only time he's had it how he really wants it was when he won first time at Haydock."