Dave Nevison: My Scottish Grand National tip and Ayr best bets

I love Scottish National day and enjoyed watching several replays while I was in the Racing TV studio earlier in the week. I am pretty confident about my selection in the big race this year but mostly looking forward to enjoying a great day’s jumping on the channel.

1.15 Ayr: Malystic

He didn’t stay 2½ miles when second in the Future Champion Novices' Chase at this meeting last year but, back at two miles now, he can confirm himself a very useful front-running handicapper.

Malystic has only run once this season, but it looks as though he has had this meeting as a spring target and still doesn’t look too badly weighted despite being at the top of the weights here. Before that Ayr defeat last term, he won two decent novice events over fences and looked a really good prospect while his reappearance last month suggested he has returned in very good form.

There are other front-runners lower down the weights here but they have nowhere near the same level of ability as Malystic and Brian Hughes is the man to decide whether to take a lead or boss them. I am happy to rely on the champion’s judgement.

1.35 Newbury: Punctuation

2.25 Ayr: Anna Bunina

She is 13lbs better off with Milkwood for getting beaten just 3¾ lengths in this race last year and, though the winner won pulling a bus, there is more than just the weight pull that makes me think she can turn it around.

Ana Bunina jumped the last in front on that occasion and I feel she is best held up off the pace, so hopefully Sean Bowen can sit in behind. She definitely signalled that she is coming back to form with a good third behind Socialist Agenda last time, who is out of the weights here.

Described as a neat mare by Timeform, Anna Bunina will definitely be suited by carrying bottom weight and she is so well-in she looks a place banker at least for the Saturday afternoon each-way yankee.

3.35 Ayr: Kitty’s Light

One of the disadvantages of bookies offering many extra places is that the odds on the outsiders are compressed in the morning lists. There are several I could fancy to run into an extra place, but I am going to wait until the show 10 minutes before the off.

I tipped up Kitty’s Light earlier in the week and the 5/1 I took is still available. Everything points to a good run from this exciting young stayer and it definitely looks as though Christian Williams has campaigned him with this and the Bet365 Gold Cup - which he was robbed of last year - in mind.

His early-season form figures flatter him and Kitty's Light showed his first real signs of coming back to his best last time when second to stablemate Cap Du Nord in the Coral Trophy at Kempton. He was absolutely not knocked about in that race and will improve a lot for this extra mile - and especially so in what will be a fast-run race on good ground.