Flower Of Scotland has National appeal

THE bet365 Edinburgh National Handicap Chase will certainly be competitive if Rapper and Slipway both head to Scotland, but whatever happens I’ll be backing Sandy Thomson to keep the prize at home.

Flower Of Scotland looks the most likely of Thomson’s three entries to play a part in the finish on Saturday, but I’ll also chuck a few quid at The Ferry Master, who is the other one jocked up at the five-day stage.

Again I’ll be going win only as none of the bookmakers is offering more than three places despite 18 entries at the five-day stage.

Flower Of Scotland won easily stepped up to 4m in the Borders National at Kelso in December and, while that was on soft ground, she has respectable form on a quicker surface as well.

She’s only eight and looks to be improving, so should put up a good show, but The Ferry Master has become very well handicapped and is worth a tipple at much bigger odds as well.

Fourth in the 2021 Scottish National off a mark of 133, he has dropped all the way to 120 now and he ran a pretty promising race last time when third over 3m at Musselburgh, going well for a long way and only losing second place going to the last.

He failed to get home on very soft ground in the Borders National but was only 4-1 then (Flower Of Scotland was 100-30) and he’ll be 13lb better off with the ground very much in his favour this time.

It was good when he ran fourth in that Scottish National and all of his best form at staying trips has come on good to soft or quicker, which looks pretty certain this time.

He was a non-runner in this race two years ago when the ground went very soft, but he looks a certain runner this time off a very low weight and the 20-1 with Coral looks fair enough.