This race has clearly captured the forum's attention. Sporting Life preview here.
The Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr has not been kind to favourite backers in recent renewals with the last 10 jollies all getting beaten.
There have been nine double-figure priced winners in the last decade with 66-1, 33-1, 20-1 (x2), and 18-1 just some of the SPs returned by the first home.
Chicago Grey bids to halt the misfortune of favourites on Saturday and if he jumps as well as he did at Cheltenham he has every chance.
The step up to four miles certainly helped him in the jumping department as he had tended to make mistakes over shorter trips in his previous outings this campaign.
However, I'm happy to pass him over as I'm not convinced his form warrants him being quoted at 5-1 given that he's racing in a competitive handicap off a mark of 151.
So who to take him on with?
21 of the 28 runners are out of the handicap due to the presence of top-weight Neptune Collonges but I feel there are two in particular that warrant attention at big prices.
Firstly, Ferdy Murphy has had this race in mind for Poker De Sivola all season and for that reason alone he should be backed at 16-1.
While this is perhaps an afterthought for many after tough races at the Cheltenham Festival, Poker De Sivola's Cheltenham assignment was merely a stepping stone to Ayr.
Last season he was pulled up in this contest after being sent off at 8-1, but it was his sixth start of the campaign and a case of one race too many.
He's had a much softer preparation this time, running in a jumpers bumper at Southwell over Christmas before finishing sixth in the Cross Country at Cheltenham.
That wasn't such a bad effort as he took his time getting used to the banks and he ran on well to finish just 14 lengths off the winner Sizing Australia.
Being 6lbs out of the handicap is the only negative as, effectively racing off 142, he'll have to run a career best - but he'll be primed to do so.
Finally, I can't help but take a little bit of the 25-1 about Gone To Lunch who simply loves this race.
He's been second in the last two renewals of this contest carrying 11st-10lbs and 10-13 and if he'd carried 10-0 in either of those races he'd probably have won.
After last year's Scottish National the decision was made for him to be put down after it looked like he was failing to recover from a serious illness that affected his lungs.
However, he made a miraculous recovery and has since won a couple of point to points before running on into sixth in the Fox Hunters' at Cheltenham. He was outpaced there over 3m2f but finished with a flourish and the signs were encouraging enough for him to be backed off his light weight in this, his favourite race.
