Scottish National: Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond gives her verdict on a wide-open contest at Ayr | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond previews the key weekend action and fancies Nigel Twiston-Davies to land the Scottish National with a lightly-raced novice.

I don’t know about you, but this is a discombobulating time of year. We haven’t quite signed off the jumps season, in fact we have two Nationals still to enjoy, and the flat season is shuffling over the start line in stages.

That’s not to say I’m not enjoying it, quite the opposite in fact. Spring is my favourite time of year. The garden is starting to come to life and there is warmth in the sun.

The flat season is quite linear with the season when you think of it. Last week we were all digging the shorts and flip flops out, and this week it’s turned arctic again.

It was wonderful to be at Doncaster in warm sunshine and whilst I was up there, I also learned that the term “Sunny Donny” was coined by the late Sir Terry Wogan. You never stop learning. Well Sir Terry got it right on this occasion and it was glorious.

Time to dig out another phrase from the past which my mum reminded me of this week. Ne’er cast a clout till May be out; it will see you well. Time to dig out the big coat again.

Looking for each-way value in wide-open Scottish National

More on those Nationals then, well one of them at least, Saturday’s Coral Scottish Grand National. One thing we are often guaranteed at Ayr in April for this marathon handicap chase is decent ground and the surface is just on the easy side of good for this four-miler.

Christian Williams is making a habit of winning these staying handicap chases and he has the first two in the market with Kitty’s Light Sky Bet’s 6/1 favourite and Win My Wings 13/2 next best.

If ever a horse deserved to win a big one, it’s Kitty’s Light. He was unlucky not to win the Bet365 Gold Cup last spring and has been knocking on the door ever since. He had to settle for second behind stablemate Cap Du Nord at Kempton in February and it’s another of his travelling companions he has most to fear from in Win My Wings.

Whilst Kitty’s Light enters new territory over this four-mile trip, Win My Wings has already proven her stamina when winning the Eider at Newcastle last time out. She was raised 8lbs in the weights for that win, but her trainer has shrewdly booked Irish amateur Rob James who claims seven of those pounds off.

He’s certainly up to the task having won the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham festival a couple of seasons ago.

Speaking of Irish visitors, horses trained in the Emerald Isle are always to be respected. Pat Fahey sends 8/1 third favourite Stormy Judge over for the race.

He’s unexposed having just had six starts over fences and steps into unknown territory over this trip. That shouldn’t be an issue though as he’s a full brother to Mister Fogpatches who won over three-mile-and-seven-furlongs for this stable and was third in the Scottish National last season. So, plenty to recommend his younger brother who bids to go two better.

Whilst he has many of the right credentials for the race, the good ground wouldn’t necessarily be ideal, but despite that I’d be keen to keep him on side. The trainer also sends over 14/1 shot History Of Fashion.

So, strong claims for horses trained in Wales and Ireland but a Scottish winner would be hugely popular and Iain Jardine saddles 17/2 shot Cool Mix (5th last year and now 6lbs lower in the weights) and Sandy Thomson is responsible for another of the protagonists in last year’s 4th The Ferry Master, who is a 9/1 chance and is now 5lbs lower in the weights and has had a wind op. Lots to like there.

Alan King saddled the winner in 2013 so knows what it takes to lift the prize and sends two to this race including Major Dundee. He carries the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings whose silks were carried to success in 2016 and 2017 by Vicente. Major Dundee is unexposed and hard to assess on his first start beyond three miles.

Dan and Harry Skelton team up with Ashtown Lad who is the same price as Major Dundee at 10/1, and like that horse is also a novice. He’s a late maturing type who should come into his own over marathon trips.

The Wolf represents trainer Olly Murphy and he’s 14/1 with Sky Bet. He seemed to stay the trip well when trying it for the first time at Musselburgh in February on his last start and good ground won’t be a problem either.

You may remember that Fantastikas had an exciting tussle to win a race on Winter Million weekend at Lingfield back in January and was subsequently seventh in the Ultima at the Cheltenham festival last month.

The Lingfield win came in extreme conditions, but he’s effective on better ground too and with just five races over fences under his belt there should be more to come.

He tries this trip for the first time but his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has his team in tip top form with a 30 per cent strike rate and at 12/1 he could offer each way value with Sky Bet paying seven places.

Ask A Honey Bee (22/1) has been hard to catch right, but a trip like this is expected to suit and he’s versatile ground wise. Trainer Fergal O’Brien is enjoying his best season and jockey Connor Brace has been in fine form too.

It’s uber-competitive as usual and you can make claims for several of the runners. However, with those extra places on offer I’m keen to go with Fantastikas to fill one of them.

On the same card I like Barrichello in the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle. If there has been a more consistently in-form team this season than the Donald McCain yard, then I don’t know who they are.

This horse has really got his act together over hurdles this season and his beating of Good Risk At All at Warwick in January looks good. He’s 15/2 with Sky Bet who are paying four places in this two-mile handicap hurdle.

He’ll be ridden by champion jockey elect Brian Hughes, who I hope will already have been successful on Malystic in the first race for trainer Peter Niven. Malystic is 5/1 joint second favourite with Sky Bet who are offering money back as cash if you are second or third in this handicap chase.

Well, in true April fashion it’s now snowing here at home, so I’m relieved it’s a stint in the Sky Sports Racing studio for me on Saturday. Thermals packed away, until Windsor on Monday! Now if the thought of Windsor doesn’t make you feel summery, nothing will.