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AS WILLIE MULLINS once again chases the holy grail of landing the Irish and British trainers’ championship in the same season, the greatest national hunt trainer of all time is firmly on the attack on the big races at Ayr this afternoon.

The Closutton handler has four of the 12 entries in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and six of the 23 set to line up in the Scottish National Handicap Chase including the first three in the market place.

In the first race, I think the bookmakers have the right favourite in his ETHICAL DIAMOND (2.15) who was a huge eye-catcher in the County Hurdle at the recent Cheltenham Festival when I think he was given a shade too much to do by Patrick Mullins, eventually finishing a never nearer fourth, beaten some three-and-three-quarter lengths by stable-mate Kargese.

I think the handicapper has been very lenient on the five-year-old by only raising him a pound to 144 and this faster track should play more to his strengths.

His main rival, could be the mare Dysart Enos, who would have a clear chance should she return to her best form. Her placed effort in the Greatwood Hurdle was a fantastic effort when you consider she was very keen both in the parade ring and in the race proper and that Jonathan Burke simply set her alight too early in the race.

I feel he is lucky to keep the ride here, but he has a chance to make amends off her current rating of 137, a rating that she is almost certainly better than if she retains all of her considerable ability.

Kabral Dy Mathan is obviously the least exposed in the field, but needs to take another significant step forward to beat the favourite and at a bigger price, I would be much more interested in having a saver on Under Control who comes here following a 146-day break (pulled up in the aforementioned Greatwood when well fancied) and will appreciate this speed track on a good surface.

The main event of the day obviously has some Mullins’ afterthought entries, but he could still have a stranglehold on this four-mile marathon. The ante-post favourite, very heavily backed this week, Chosen Witness, unseated in the fourth last in a Grade Two last time out, but that race was yet to unfold properly so it would be dangerous to read that form literally.

Last year’s 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th reoppose each other here and it was very interesting watching back last year’s race when Macdermott and Surrey Quest forged some four-and-a-half lengths clear of the field as they raced for home some way out.

In theory there should be very little between them here with the runner-up getting a pound for that nose defeat, but the runner-up arrives in much better form than the winner, although the Mullins charge is notoriously difficult to get fit and there was a bit more promise in his effort in the Grand National Trial Handicap Chase when he only backed out between the third and second last fence.

The other point to note is that last year’s race was run on officially soft ground, although it was probably good to soft (soft in the odd place) by the time the race was run and it will probably be good ground all round by the time of the feature event today.

That day KLARC KENT finished two lengths ahead of Spanish Harlem and has an extra 2lbs in his favour here. Many will point to the fact that he has endured a fallow season, but the nine-year-old ran well for a long way in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and also at the beginning of the season in the Thyestes Chase.

A reproduction of his strong staying on fourth here last year would once again see him hit the first six and at 50/1 a fifth the odds that is worth taking.

If you are looking for a back-up bet, and the maths will tell you that is worth doing with a price like the one we have locked up in our back pockets, then WISEGUY could be your go to. He was an eye-catching staying on seventh of 23 in the Kim Muir Chase and the more the ground dries out the better his chance will become.

He remains unexposed over fences, this will only be his seventh chase start, and has been dropped a pound for that Cheltenham Festival effort.

Of the other races on the West of Scotland track card I have plenty of respect for HOMME PUBLIC (1.10) in the opening extended two-mile handicap chase, while QUEENSBURY BOY (4.45) and MOONBOW (5.20) should also figure prominently.

Over at Newbury we have two cracking classic trials, the first of which is for the girls in the Fred Darling Stakes at 2.00 which produced the winner of last year’s 1,000 Guineas in the form of of the third home in Elmalka.

This year I fancy we shall see a huge run from the Dubawi filly FORMAL, trained by Sir Michael Stoute as a juvenile. She dotted up on her first two starts as a two-year-old before running way too freely behind Bubbling in the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket, which I believe was more of a reason for her underperforming rather than an inability to act on the track. The vibes from her new handler Andrew Balding have been positive and if she settles then she could get the better of likely favourite Simmering.

As far as the boys in the Greenham at 2.35 is concerned, this looks a mightily hot renewal and I have little doubt with the 2,000 Guineas’ market in flux, if we get an impressive winner here then he could go straight to the top of the market.

That could well be SARACEN, winner of his only start as a juvenile in Ireland for Joseph O’Brien on soft ground over six furlongs. The second home that day has franked the form and this seven furlongs should be perfect for him on his three-year-old debut.

The fact that O’Brien is happy to pitch him in at this level on only his second career start is a huge plus. There are plenty of unexposed rivals set to line up against him and the one I have most regard for has to be Jonquil who has reportedly been working well at home for Andrew Balding since coming over from the Newmarket.

The Spring Cup Handicap (3.12) sees last year’s winner, Metal Merchant, set to line up off a 6lbs higher mark, but that race worked out incredibly well with the runner-up, Godwinson, landing this year’s Lincoln.

But it could be his stable mate, URBAN LION that could be the stable’s main play here. A real physical specimen, he was never strong enough to do himself justice as a three-year-old, unraced at two, but still won at Chelmsford in February despite the track being sharp enough.

Set to make huge steps this year, I fancy he may well win a nice handicap or three this year starting with this afternoon. If there is any money for the top weight, Son, he could be worth a back-up wager.