14:15 Ayr

Saturday 12 April 2025

All13:1013:4314:1514:5515:3516:1016:4517:20

Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle (Limited Handicap) (Grade 2) (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:15 | Winning time: 3m 51.72s

Ethical Diamond^h²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-12| J: Mr P W Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 144| D

5/1

Useful winner on the Flat (placed in the Duke of Edinburgh handicap at Royal Ascot) and is proving equally as good in this code, shaped really well when fourth of 16 in County at Cheltenham last month. Likely more to come and major player.

Form: 060-014

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Kihavah^t¹³³

Age: 8| Weight: 11-7| J: B S Hughes| T: A Keatley| OR: 139| C| D

16/1

Very likeable dual-purpose performer who was second in the Ebor on the Flat in August. Returned to hurdles with good efforts in Kempton listed (second to Rubaud) and Fighting Fifth at Newcastle (12½ lengths third to Sir Gino) in the autumn. Respected back in a handicap after a break.

Form: 341/223-

Bunting³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Danny Mullins| T: W P Mullins| OR: 139| D

9/1

Flat/hurdle winner. Pulled too hard when stepped up to 21f for his first handicap start in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham last month. The drop back to 2m is a good move and he's still unexposed.

Form: 1479-2P

Kabral Du Mathan^t⁸⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-7| J: Harry Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 139| D

9/4

Won first 3 starts and even better form when runner-up in strong 2m handicaps at Ascot and Windsor since. Resumes from a 12-week break on the same mark as Windsor and another bold show looks assured.

Form: 11-122

Cracking Rhapsody²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Craig Nichol| T: Ewan Whillans| OR: 137| D

10/1

Improving sort who enhanced his Kelso record to 4 wins from 5 visits when digging in to defend his Morebattle crown last month. Creditable seventh of 16 in the County at Cheltenham since. Third in this last year.

Form: 401017

Dysart Enos³²

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: J J Burke| T: F O'Brien| OR: 137| D

7/1

Successful on each of her first 6 outings in bumpers/novice hurdles. Lost unbeaten record but ran well when third in the Greatwood at Cheltenham on return. However, well behind Kabral du Mathan in another top 2m handicap at Ascot next time and never involved in Mares' at Cheltenham since.

Form: 111-378

Under Control¹⁴⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson| OR: 134| D

12/1

Very good second in Doncaster mares' Grade 2 in January 2024. Too keen when sixth of 19 in Galway Hurdle when next seen in August and pulled up in Greatwood at Cheltenham 3 months later. Off again since. The tongue tie worn the last twice is left off now.

Form: 11/72-6P

Batman Girac^h,t³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Brian Hayes| T: W P Mullins| OR: 134| D

40/1

French recruit who has yet to strike for Willie Mullins and ran no sort of race in the Imperial Cup at Sandown last month. While it's dangerous to rule out anything from his title-chasing yard the stable's other runners look much more obvious contenders.

Form: 056-0F0

Karafon²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-1| J: J J Slevin| T: W P Mullins| OR: 133

22/1

French recruit who returned from 11 months off to open his account at Clonmel in December. Ran to similar level when fourth in Grade 1 novice at Leopardstown in December. Too free when down the field in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham on handicap debut and quickly reverts to 2m.

Form: 35-1470

Ooh Betty^t³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Jones| T: Ben Clarke| OR: 132| D

12/1

Useful mare who returned from wind surgery to win 2m handicaps at Sandown and Kempton at the end of 2024. Good third in Ascot mares' Grade 2 in January but her subsequent Sandown Imperial Cup run underlines she has work to do from this mark.

Form: 2-10130

Valgrand²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 132| D

10/1

Emphatic winner of 2m Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham's October meeting. Second in another Graded novice there (21f) in November but he's been unable to reproduce that level in 3 subsequent handicap starts.

Form: 112070

Welsh Charger⁷⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-12| J: David Noonan| T: A Ralph| OR: 130| D

22/1

Progressive handicapper who made it 4 wins in his 6 starts when proving too strong for Afadil (went close in Imperial Cup next time) in the Scottish County at Musselburgh (2m, good to soft) at the start of February. 4 lb higher in an even stronger race but further improvement not ruled out.

Form: 119-171

Forecasts

Kabral Du Mathan (9/4), Ethical Diamond (5/1), Dysart Enos (7/1), Bunting (9/1), Cracking Rhapsody (10/1), Valgrand (10/1), Ooh Betty (12/1), Under Control (12/1), Kihavah (16/1), Welsh Charger (22/1), Karafon (22/1), Batman Girac (40/1)

ETHICAL DIAMOND was an eyecatcher when fourth in the County at Cheltenham and can build on that promise and provide his yard with a significant winner in the trainers' title race. Kabral du Mathan brings solid big-field form and is second choice ahead of another Willie Mullins runner Bunting, who proved way too headstrong in the 21f Coral Cup at Cheltenham but could prove a different proposition back at 2m.