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Punters put Trust in Tim’s Times for Coral Scottish Grand National

| 10.04.2014
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Trustan Times has been heavily backed for the Coral Scottish Grand National, as punters latch on to the fact that he is potentially very well handicapped following an eye-catching run last time out.

Tim Easterby’s eight-year-old, who has been cut into 12/1 (from 16s) with the sponsors for the big race at Ayr on Saturday, finished fourth behind Fingal Bay in the Pertemps Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Pineau De Re, the third home in that contest, went on to win the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree, and Trustan Times is very well-handicapped over fences compared to his hurdle rating.

He was a very useful sort over the smaller obstacles, achieving a rating of 150 at his peak, and is now rated 147 over hurdles, but Trustan Times’ chase mark is just 134.

Having also just had five runs over the larger obstacles he is also open to plenty of further improvement over them, and that suggests he could be ahead of the handicapper off just 10st in the Scottish Grand National.

Indeed, he was classy enough over hurdles to give Holywell 12lb and a comfortable beating in a handicap hurdle at Haydock back in 2012, and that one has won at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree this season to be now rated 164 over fences.

It makes Trustan Times look a fascinating contender for the extended 4m Ayr showpiece, for a yard that is in good form and know how to lay a horse out to land a big prize.

He also goes into the contest relatively fresh, having had just six runs this season, and 12 of the last 13 runnings of the race have been won by horses that had not run more than six times beforehand.

Eleven of the last 13 winners also had a rating of between 132 and 143, and that is another box that Trustan Times ticks as far as the stats are concerned.

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Author

David Metcalf

A lifelong Manchester United supporter, David has over 25 years’ experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a huge horse racing, football and greyhound fan and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR front man for a betting firm. David has also written for most of the top Premier League football fan websites, and produced a Cheltenham Festival guide with former eight-times champion national hunt jockey Peter Scudamore, MBE, after helping him to set up a syndicate for his trainer son Michael.