Antepost Racing Tips: Back this 11/2 Scottish National fancy and two big odds plays at Newbury

Greenham Stakes, Newbury, Saturday, 14:00 - Back Protection Act @ 12/113.00

Newbury's Saturday racegoers will be still enjoying the Constitution Hill roadshow from the night before, but not the ornate tee-up he so enjoys and what to make of the ground this week is anyone's guess.

Rain is forecast for three of the days and with the going stick reading in the mid fives as of Tuesday, quick ground seems as unlikely as Kant leaving Konigsberg. On with Saturday's action and the Greenham Stakes will perhaps give us a Guineas horse?

Zavateri heads the market on the Sportsbook at 7/42.75 - a tough and hardy juvenile from last season with four wins from five runs culminating in a fourth in the Dewhurst. Albert Einstein has been handed the shock entry and another rabbit from the Aidan O'Brien hat, although maybe the computer went bananas with the entries again.

Two Newbury Maiden winners from sole starts are in Needle Match and Gonna Fly from their respective powerful yards, but one that could be a little overpriced here is Protection Act for George Boughey at 12/113.00 as there could be some fun in games with the final declarations.

Protection Act was impressive winning at Haydock over 7f and was ridden like a good horse out the back and he swooped late to conquer Look To The Stars and Boiling Over in second and fourth, both subsequent winners and rated 98 and 90. To back up that piece of form, the fifth, sixth and eighth all won afterwards too.

He ran his final furlong at 12.11 seconds at Haydock over the top and that was some way faster than the runner-up and third (at 12.50 and 12.83). Boughey said last summer: "He is a horse who was very weak at the time of his debut and is still developing.

"It's all a learning curve for him at the minute, as like Bow Echo he is going to be a better three-year-old and is still very raw.

"But if he relaxes like he did on debut then I think Doncaster will suit him well (the Champagne Stakes).

"It can often be a small field which is always a bit of a shame and I just hope we get a properly-run race. If we can get Protection Act there in the same form he went into his debut, then he should be competitive."

The connections clearly must feel there's a horse up to Group standard, and this could be an investigatory run to see if he is a genuine Guineas horse.

Spring Cup, Newbury, Saturday, 15:10 - Back Whip Cracker @ 10/111.00

While the Scottish Grand National at Ayr will be the biggest betting race of the day, the Spring Cup at Newbury looks interesting and if you are playing early in the race, the Sportsbook are going with four places.

We'll glean a bit about the draw from Friday hopefully but Whip Cracker appeals as a type for these big fields and he's a 10/111.00 poke for Newbury.

Richard Hughes has booked Ryan Moore, and Moore's nous will be needed as Whip Cracker has amazingly never won a race on turf from 14 appearances. Moore will need to cure the "placed second" ills which have plagued this horse in recent times.

With that, he's down to 94 so he's got chances from the handicapper floating the mark, as in 2024 he was rated 101. Has he lost his mojo? Not on your nelly from his Goodwood run, at the Glorious Goodwood (or whatever it is called these days) meeting last summer.

He was unlucky not to beat Gladius, who has an entry in the Lockinge, and Whip Cracker had to sit and suffer like so many have in the past on the rolling Sussex Downs and his final two furlongs are Goodwood were rapid - 12.07 in the final part.

Moore rode Whip Cracker last spring in the Sandown Whitsun Cup and had a shocker of a draw in 13 and a shocker of a start too when running around and veering. Good and good to soft is fine and he should strip fit here from his run at the Curragh last month, he stays 1m well and usually races prominently.

Ye gods of the draw be kind.

The Scottish Grand National, Ayr, Saturday, 15:35 - Back King Of Answers @ 11/26.50

Over to the west coast of Scotland for Ayr's big Saturday and on scanning the entries for the Scottish Grand National, I was rather disappointed to see in-form trainer Nicky Richards with just the one entry in Famous Bridge.

The Kim Muir form of Cheltenham last stands tall with Ask Brewster, Kim Roque and Road To Home all holding entries. Midlands National hero Isaac Des Obeaux sluiced up in the mud at Uttoxeter and would be of tremendous interest from a mark of 139 with soft conditions and heavy, but will it be testing enough for him?

King Of Answers could well be the Allen Iverson here - ie The Answer - and while 11/26.50 isn't a wildly exciting price a few days in advance of a National, his run in the National Hunt Chase behind Holloway Queen was a fine effort.

I put up Holloway Queen in the antepost column for the Irish Grand National a fortnight ago and was virtually scratched after I filed, and while she was an impressive winner of the old four-miler, King Of Answers ran a remarkable race in second.

He was ridden maybe too confidently at Prestbury Park as he was a mile back when Holloway Queen made her move. He stayed on ever so well running a faster furlong at 3m5 to 3m6f than the winner and at the penultimate furlong was a mega 15.83 secs to 16.65 secs to the winner, so that shows this is a stamina horse.

In truth I don't feel it's a great renewal and as King Of Answers is lightly-raced, progressive and should stay well, he looks the number one tip.

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