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Scottish Derby Betting: No Shawfield redemption for Barnfield On Air

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Barnfield On Air will not compete in the Scottsh Derby Final this week as his bid for a Derby treble fell by the wayside but there'll be no shortage of betting action, particularly with such a strong Irish challenge.

It's all eyes on Shawfield in Glasgow on Saturday for the £25,000 Scottish Derby Final, and for those not in the vicinity, Sky Sports have every moment live from 8 O'clock. While sadly the dream of the impossible Derby treble is over for connections of Barnfield On Air, who never fully recovered from the exertions of the first round, the final has all the makings of a race to savour with the Irish holding major claims of hauling the prize back across the water for the fourth time in nine years.

Tyrur Kieran could hardly have run better when setting a new track record in the semi-final, and justifying the support of this column in the process. Initially Paul Hennessy's second string, the lightly raced ex Irish grader has come of age big style through the competition and has been handed an ideal trap one berth in a bid to claim an unbeaten haul through the Classic. On the evidence we have, he will take awful lot of stopping, especially if trapping as well as he did in the semi-final, but he will need to, with last year's fourth Kylegrove Top, an equally quick starter on his day drawn next door. Loyal Honcho, the 2007 English Derby runner-up, had to work hard to try and run down 'Kieran' in that semi-final, and was far from disgraced in getting beaten by a length, but it has to be stripes clad Bubbly Totti that makes more appeal. A recent big money purchase by the Champagne Club, Ted Soppitt's strong running sort - remember he won the Racing Post Puppy Stayers last backend - looks perfectly pitched as the sole wide runner to cause a minor upset. A winner of 14 of his last 18 outings, which also includes the Futurity final at Nottingham, he has taken well to Shawfield, and was actually favourite to beat 'Kieran' in last Sunday's second round, his only defeat so far, before coming with his customary late burst to see off Kylegrove Top in Wednesday's semi-final. While Tyrur Kieran warrants the maximum respect, the selection makes far more appeal at the prices.

On the supporting card, the stayers race at 9.25 looks a decent affair, with highly touted Flying Winner taken to run down Go Edie Honda. Chris Lund's runner has had to work harder than expected to maintain his unbeaten British record, currently standing at four, but should have too many guns for last year's Sunderland Grand Prix winner, while Golden Jacket runner-up Rough Rose will ensure it's far from a match.

Last Win ran well in defeat in the Scottish Derby second round, and is only just overlooked in favour of Meenala Cruiser, who can provide Julie Bateson with success in the 9.10 race. A shock elimination in the first round of the Classic, he had previously won a brace of trial stakes in good style, and can confirm his liking for the Rutherford circuit.

I also fancy Bateson to be on the mark in the puppy race (8.40) with Drive On Captain following a couple of decent sighters over the CD, while Droopys Tobey can use local knowledge to good effort to overcome potentially useful sprinter Ibetx Dot Com in the 300m race at 8.25.