King Keen On National Chances

Alan King has his sights set on another big prize as Halcon Genelardais and Old Benny line up for the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday.

The Barbury Castle trainer has enjoyed a cracking season so far and will saddle the well-fancied pair in this weekend´s major highlight north of the border.

Halcon Genelardais will shoulder 11st 12lb by virtue of his official rating of 169, while Cheltenham Festival winner Old Benny will carry 10st but sits 2lb out of the handicap proper.

King said: "I´d like to think they both have decent chances and Halcon has been in good form since his run in the Gold Cup.

"Obviously it´ll be a tough ask with all that weight but I hope and think he´ll run very well again.

"I was very pleased with his performance in the Gold Cup as he stayed on very powerfully but he is 13lb higher than when he was second in the Welsh National.

"It´s always been the target to come here with Old Benny after the Cheltenham race.

"The fact that the ground has dried up a bit should suit him as he´s probably a better horse on slightly better ground."

Many bookmakers are struggling to split the pair and King admits it is hard to choose between them.

"All we can say is that they´re both in very good form and I hope they both run really well," he added.

Ferdy Murphy´s record in the race in recent years is second to none having saddled a one-two 12 months ago with Hot Weld and Nine De Sivola.

He has also won with Joes Edge in 2005 and Paris Pike in 2000.

This year he has two live chances with Leading Man and Noir Et Vert.

"Leading Man was third at Doncaster last time when Graham (Lee) rode him and he said if you can get his wind tinkered with, he would have a massive chance so we have done that," said Murphy.

"He seems to have improved and the lads who have ridden work on him say he is working really well.

"Keith (Mercer) has already won a Scottish National and he rides him so I think he has a fantastic chance."

Noir Et Vert was progressive last year and finished fourth at the Cheltenham Festival on his sole start this term.

"He didn´t have a year off, we have saved him especially for this race," Murphy told At The Races.

"We thought he was just getting a bit used to the easy life he was having so we gave him a run at Cheltenham but he ran a blinder and finished fourth.

"We´ve laid him out for the race and through the week we were concerned that the ground was going to go against him, but they tell me it is drying out by the minute and we are very happy with him.

"All the horses we have are real chasing types and we tend to save them during the heavy ground in mid-season and try to keep one or two for this rrace - it´s a good pot."

Opera Mundi appears to have been done a favour by the appearance of the top weight but he needs to overcome a poor showing last time.

He was pulled up in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster on ground that was deemed too quick.

"We´ll see how the ground rides today and even though we are talking about it drying up, it is still going to be slow ground," said Barry Simpson, racing manager to owner Sir Robert Ogden.

"What he doesn´t want is good to firm and I don´t think it´s going to be that but at the same time he doesn´t want bottomless ground.

"Good to soft ground over this trip should be fine but if you look back at his form he was only just beaten at Wincanton over two miles - we even thought about him as a possible Arkle horse!

"There is always a question mark over whether any horse truly stays this trip and we are as much in dark as anyone.

"If the ground was testing, which it looked like being, we´d be telling Ruby (Walsh) to ride him to get the trip because there is no guarantee.

"The Haydock race he won could not have worked out any better and he would have probably run there at the meeting which was abandoned instead of the Sky Bet in which he was pulled up on fast ground.

"Halcon Genelardais running is a help. I´m not a great believer in saying those out of the handicap can´t win but with only three in the handicap proper, it must be a little bit in our favour.

"He seems to be in good form, he schooled well the other morning and we are pleased with him.

"It would be great for Paul and Ruby to finally win the race after a few near-misses."

(C) PA Sport