NICKY Henderson and Paul Nicholls runners dominate the ante-post betting for the Coral Scottish Grand National following the five-day confirmation stage.
Vicente, last year's winner and a 10-1 shot with the sponsors, returns to Ayr on Saturday after his first-fence in the Grand National at Aintree and is one of four possible runners for Nicholls along with Arpege d'Alene (12-1), Vivaldi Collonges and Virak.
Henderson has three of the 40 horses still in the race led by Premier Bond, the 9-1 favourite, and the trainer has also left in Lessons In Milan and Sugar Baron.
The weights have gone up 5lb and the handicap is now headed by Yala Enki from the Venetia Williams stable.
Picking the winner of the Boylesports Irish Grand National is never easy.
Picking out the winner at Fairyhouse yesterday was not helped by 13 of the 28 runners carrying the colours of Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, whose horses appear under the name of the Gigginstown House Stud.
The numerical dominance of O’Leary in Irish jumps racing has been a source of concern for some although his original 14-strong squad was depleted when Tell Us More was scratched.
Telling them apart was a task in itself but, by the home turn, O’Leary’s chances had been whittled down to nothing as Our Duke, Abolitionist and Bless The Wings were clear of the rest.
Our Duke, trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Robbie Power, is still a novice but Harrington had elected not to send the horse to contest the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham despite being a Grade One winner in Ireland. And that decision was fully vindicated as the 9-2 favourite came clear to win by 14 lengths, with Bless The Wings runner-up for the second year in succession and Abolitionist third.
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