King Barry can grab headlines at Ayr

Published on Thursday 16 April 2009 23:03

BARRY Ferguson is unlikely ever to look back with pride on his behaviour over the last few weeks, but the hard-line attitudes adopted of late towards the former Rangers and Scotland captain are clearly softening.

So how ironic would it be were 'Baz' to cap his rehabilitation by winning tomorrow's Scottish Grand National.

Not the man himself, you understand, more the horse named after him.

King Barry, owned by Dunbar-based Rangers supporter Ray Green, is among the 21 final acceptors for the Ayr marathon in which the Paul Nicholls-trained Dear Villez will head the weights following the expected defection of Irish raider Notre Pere.

With the exception of Russian Trigger, all of the fancied runners in the ante-post post lists, including Tricky Trickster and Chief Dan George will go to post.

Nine De Sivola, second to his Ferdy Murphy trained stablemate Hot Weld in the race two years ago, is there as well as is the strongly fancied Merigo, who also runs in the colours of Ray Green, with smart novice Gone To Lunch and the Nicky Richards pair of According To John and Native Coral also in the mix.

Whether the last named pair make the final line-up will, however, depend very much on the going at the Craigie course.

"According To John ran a nice race at Aintree but he just found things happening a little bit too quick for him. We're a little bit worried about the ground so we'll have a look at it to see how we go," said Richards.

"There are no guarantees with the trip until you try, but I think he is the type of horse who will get it well.

"Native Coral is in good form as well but is in exactly the same position regarding the ground. He probably won't run if it's on the fast side," added the Greystoke handler.

To ensure that's not the case, and with no rain forecast, officials at Ayr will continue chucking as much H20 as is needed on the track in order to ensure the best possible conditions.

"It's good on the majority of the course and the amount of water we've put down varies. We will water tonight and that will hold for tomorrow," explained clerk of the course Katherine Self. "We will continue watering into the early hours, putting another 4mm on the back, slowing onto the home straight with 6mm on the final two furlongs."

For old fogies like me, the latter figure is apparently equivalent to 0.2362204724 of an inch. On such small margins can rest the outcome of the Scottish National.

Before all that unfolds, we have to safely navigate this afternoon's card and while the size of the fields is slightly disappointing given the amount of prize money on offer, the paucity of runners hardly makes it a walk in the park as far as punters are concerned.

Nigel Twiston-Davies is famously known for the number of winners he regularly churns out at Perth but the Cotswolds handler is hardly a stranger to success at Ayr as Distiller and Andrew Nick can testify.

Paul Nicholls's Medicinal looks one of the bets of the day and the fact Ferdy Murphy continues to run Percutant at courses near the water is enough to earn him in the nap in the opener.

The best bet has won on his last couple of outings, both at Musselburgh, but he was almost put of his stroke at the East Lothian circuit last time out when he dived left after jumping the last because he spotted a couple of seagulls sitting in the middle of the course.

That might have persuaded Murphy to send Percutant to a track a little more inland just in case the same thing happened again, but he's back at the seaside today and is fancied to take on and beat all comers-and that includes his rivals and seagulls.