Paul Nicholls shares his thoughts on his ten runners at Ayr on Saturday – as leading jump jockey Harry Cobden rides young chasing star Stay Away Fay in the Scottish Grand National

Trainer Paul Nicholls has 10 runners at Ayr on Saturday, including two in the Scottish Grand National.

Leading jump jockey Harry Cobden rides young chasing star Stay Away Fay in the feature race at 15.35.

Here the Betfair The ambassador shares his thoughts on his ten runners in Ayr on Saturday afternoon.

Ayr

13:15 – Sans Bruit

He was overly keen on his first two outings since joining us this season but then showed much more over the fences at Chepstow before arriving in style at Aintree nine days ago aided by a positive performance from Bryony Frost. Although he has been bred to 10lb, he is tough, seems to be thriving and should be competitive again if this race doesn’t come soon after Aintree.

13:50 – Mofasa

New for us this season, he won cleanly on his second start over fences at Huntingdon, but next time he had trouble breathing so we gave him a chance. I’ve had this race in mind for him for a while and needed to take him on first at Newbury, where he wasn’t fully prepared. He has improved a lot for that outing.

14:25 – Rubaud

He won this race in style last year with a handicap mark of 135 on good ground and has a much tougher task this time at 148. I don’t think he was right when he ran under par last time on heavy ground at Wincanton. Rubaud seems to be in a good place right now, but I’d say he has everything to do with the top weight on ground that is softer than he prefers.

14:25 – Afadil

He has been riding at the top of his form this spring and arrives here a week after finishing third in a Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap at Aintree despite losing ground after a standing start. With Freddie Gingell stating that he is a handy 5lb Afadil, he is a lovely lightweight at just 10lb 3lb and has sporting potential all round.

15:00 – Larchmont Girl

She is serviceable and ran very well last time when she took fourth place in the valuable EBF Mares final at Newbury a month ago. She has been crying out for this step of up to three miles and has solid claims with only 10 pounds on her back.

15:35 – Stay away Fay

He’s a class horse, but life isn’t going to be easy for him racing at a top weight of twelve kilos and a mark of 158. It just didn’t happen for him at Turners in Cheltenham, where he was never happy, did it? He travels across the ground and his jumps disappoint him. We removed the cheeks he was carrying there because they didn’t seem to work and for a while I felt like he could use marathon trips. The Ayr track should be very suitable for him.

15:35 – Halo broken

He had a shout out when he fell twice in the London National at Sandown in December and more recently earned a shot at the Scottish National after holding on to win decisively over three and a half miles at Taunton last month. He lifted 5 pounds now to a mark of 135 in a much stronger career and looks like an interesting outsider.

16:10 – Welcome to Cartries

He has progressed well this season, winning decisively at Ascot and then running second to a smart guy on the River Don at Doncaster in January. That form looks solid and the terrain that day was probably a little faster than he would have liked. Conditions at Ayr will be more suitable for him.

16:45 – Jetronic

The return to fences paid off when he won nicely from the front over a two and a half mile course at Plumpton last month. I’d like to think he may be in the mix.

17:20 – Histrionic

He won a point-to-point in Ireland a year ago and ran very promisingly on his debut for us before disappointing at Newbury on difficult ground. I’m not sure why, although it could be that he wants better conditions like most of his family and I hope it dries somewhere between good and soft for him. It’s encouraging that Histrionic is working wonderfully at home.

The best opportunity

Afadil EW. 14.25. He is running steadily and should be back in the frame.