AYR 15:50

Non Runners: HADRIAN'S APPROACH (IRE). Fences: 27.

Time: 8m 36.22s

Overrounds: Industry SP 135%, Betfair SP 100.1%

The participation of Tidal Bay meant that only 10 of the 29 runners were in the handicap for this season's Scottish National, naturally diluting the competition to a degree, though the form among those that came to the fore looks right up to scratch, no fluke to the winner's effort in spite of his big SP, with his nearest pursuers including last season's winner and one thrown-in on hurdles form; the pace was good from the outset, making for a proper test of stamina that found out plenty, less than a third of those that set off finishing the course.

AL CO (FR) one of the freshest horses in the race having been given a break since last seen over hurdles 3 months earlier, has often shaped as if worth a try at long distances and relished every yard of the longer trip to cause a surprise from 2 lb out of the handicap, full value for a sizeable chunk of improvement; raced wide, held up, travelled well, hit second, crept closer eleventh, went prominent fourteenth, disputed lead 5 out, went on next, kept on well, in control when jinked and unbalanced jockey close home, driven out; unexposed over marathon trips, he'll presumably be trained with the Grand National in mind, his lack of stature not the issue it might once have been with that race in mind.

GODSMEJUDGE (IRE) ran right up to best in bid to win this race for the second year running, clearly over whatever had ailed him the last twice; prominent, jumped well, driven 4 out, stuck to task, showed a good attitude; he'll be a fixture in the best long-distance handicaps for a while yet.

TRUSTAN TIMES (IRE) 6 lb out of the handicap, was nevertheless potentially one of the best-handicapped horses in the field judged on hurdles form (fourth in Pertemps Final at Cheltenham from 4 lb higher last month) and, over fences for just the second time in 2 years, ran easily his best/most convincing race in this sphere, shaping well with how easily he got into contention from right out the back, also seeing out the longer trip thoroughly; dropped out, blundered first but jumped better as race wore on, smooth headway twenty-second, in touch when ridden 3 out, kept on; well worth persevering with as a chaser, this effort suggesting he's up to landing a good handicap.

MERRY KING (IRE) claimer ridden from 2 lb out of the weights, stayed the longer trip and added another respectable effort to this season's collection, hard to knock much for all he hasn't quite kicked on as might have been expected judged on the strength of some of his novice form; mid-division, in touch twenty-first, driven after mistake 4 out, one paced.

SUMMERY JUSTICE (IRE) had plenty on from 6 lb out of the handicap and ran respectably in familiar fashion, stamina seeing him pass flagging rivals late on after he'd been gone with no more fluency than usual in first-time cheekpieces; held up, went in snatches, headway under pressure fourteenth, bad mistake twentieth, behind again 5 out, plodded on, never a threat.

GREEN FLAG (IRE) was strong in the betting having shaped as if well worth a try over this trip at Cheltenham last month but left the firm impression he barely stayed, arguably shaping as well as any until the fuel gauge read empty late on; mid-field, travelled fluently, in touch early final circuit, upsides after 4 out, effort next, every chance soon after 2 out, weakening when blundered last, folded; still only 7, he'll presumably be a regular in good staying handicaps for a while to come, not out of the question he'll be up to making more impact in this race with another year or 2 under his belt.

TIDAL BAY (IRE) shaped as if still in form turned out 7 days after his luckless Aintree non-completion but could never land a blow from right out the back; dropped out, travelled well, still plenty to do twentieth, some headway between 5 out and 4 out, no further impression.

LACKAMON had no easy task from this mark back over fences (1 lb out of the handicap) and went well enough for long enough helping force the pace to think he's still in good form; prominent, not fluent second, disputed lead sixth, went on next, headed when bad mistake 5 out, weakened soon after 3 out, very tired when dived markedly right over last.

YES TOM (IRE) has been let off lightly by the handicapper if his improvement last time can be believed and, while unable to reproduce that form, seemed beaten more by the longer trip than his mark, shaping a good bit better than the bare result; mid-division, travelled well, in touch twentieth, led 5 out, headed when slow next, weakened; may not want turning out quickly but on the radar for a good prize returned to shorter.

MIDNIGHT APPEAL was in mid-division when falling at the eighteenth, too far out to suggest whether or not he'd have stayed this longer trip.

SIR DU BEARN (FR) had cheekpieces on for the first time but predictably found this too competitive from 11 lb out of the handicap; led until sixth, chased leaders after, lost place ninth, labouring badly twelfth; needs sights lowering, and there'll presumably be plenty of opportunities for him through the summer.

BALLYBOUGH GORTA (IRE) after 3 months off, had no realistic chance from 11 lb out of the handicap and never went a yard, quickly losing a mid-field position and beaten by the ninth.

ADRENALIN FLIGHT (IRE) had work on from 10 lb out of the weights even if given full credit for his NH Chase effort but wasn't in the same form anyway 4 weeks on; handy, lost place early final circuit, behind from twentieth; a series of handicap defeats from the low-110s suggest he could have his work cut out from his new mark of 131.

SOLE WITNESS (IRE) had plenty on from 9 lb out of the handicap and never got remotely near the front, a blunder at the seventeenth finishing him off.

BAILE ANRAI (IRE) didn't have much going for him from 8 lb out of the weights but above all went like a non-stayer, going keenly up with the pace for long enough to think this doesn't represent a sudden loss of form; prominent, disputed lead from sixth, mistake twenty-second, stopped quickly.

LIE FORRIT (IRE) 5 lb out of the weights but ridden by a jockey claiming that amount, won off this mark over hurdles last time but found himself in a tough race to be making a belated return to chasing made and little impact, losing a handy pitch after a mistake at the twenty-first; there'll be easier openings for him if connections choose to persevere over fences.

MISTER MARKER (IRE) ran well when third in this last season, though he was a fresher horse then and performed poorly this time round, being 5 lb out of the weights not the issue (later said to have bled from nose); mid-division, never travelling well, behind from twelfth.

FILL THE POWER (IRE) whose jockey put up 3 lb overweight in addition to the 5 lb he was out of the handicap, made little appeal with that in mind and ran poorly; mid-field, struggling seventeenth, behind when hampered next, soon beaten.

ROALCO DE FARGES (FR) well backed even from 5 lb out of the handicap, shaped better than the bare result, either finding the race coming too soon or failing to stay, having looked a non-stayer the only other time he'd tried 4m+; held up, travelled fluently, headway out wide nineteenth, in touch when ridden 5 out, folded tamely entering straight.

NUTS N BOLTS who was 4 lb out of the handicap, ran a stinker in this race for the second year running, his season tailing right off since a winning return; never travelling well, always behind.

PURE FAITH (IRE) just out of handicap, didn't offer much but might have needed run after 6 months off and will presumably have some of the big summer handicaps on his agenda; handy, pushed along circuit out, struggling from eighteenth.

EDMUND KEAN (IRE) one of the least exposed but out of the handicap and back on less testing ground, ran poorly, rather let down by jumping in this much bigger field, beaten before the markedly longer trip would've been an issue; held up, not fluent first, lost place when bad mistake fifteenth, hampered eighteenth, soon beaten; at least there's still plenty of time for him to get back on track, including in much weaker races than this.

ALPHA VICTOR (IRE) just out of handicap, wasn't in same form as last time; mid-division, went with little fluency, lost place twelfth, mistake sixteenth, hampered eighteenth, soon beaten.

MCMURROUGH (IRE) just out of handicap, didn't stay the longer trip, much better judged on previous form assuming he's given time to recover; mid-division, in touch ninth, mistake nineteenth, ridden 5 out, stopped quickly.

ROBERTO GOLDBACK (IRE) failed to build on promise of last run; mid-division, hit seventh, lost place sixteenth, labouring badly twentieth.

RIGADIN DE BEAUCHENE (FR) has been clobbered by the handicapper for his wide-margin Haydock win but was beaten before his new mark became an issue back under less testing conditions after 8 weeks off, a shocking blunder putting a quick end to his race; handy, slow thirteenth, lost place when chance-ending mistake seventeenth, soon beaten.

SAM WINNER (FR) could be given a chance judged on his form in top novices but just didn't seem to fancy it back in a big-field handicap, not the first time he's appeared to spit the dummy faced with such a scenario, lack of stamina certainly not to blame; mid-division, early reminders, behind from early final circuit.

MENDIP EXPRESS (IRE) was well backed to get back on track 9 weeks on from Newbury (when he'd reportedly bled) but made several mistakes and never got out of rear division, beaten well before stamina would've been an issue and later said to have bled.

BATTLE GROUP did his best to ruin the start of a prestigious handicap chase for the second weekend in a row, responsible for a false start first time around and, unsurprisingly, all but refusing to race when given a second chance, eventually pulled up before the eighth; he no longer has any business being on a racecourse.