Horse Racing: Merigo warms up at Ayr

ANDREW Parker is delighted to be getting a much-needed run into his smart staying chaser Merigo at Ayr today.

Last season's Scottish National hero warms up for the totesport.com Grand National Trial at Haydock on 19 February with a spin over the smaller obstacles in the Bet Now At victorchandler.com Novices' Hurdle.

"It's something we do now and again with him. If you look in the past we give him a run over hurdles just to sharpen him up when we're struggling with a race for him," said Parker.

"We'll then go to Haydock in a fortnight for the big chase. It's a case of getting some race sharpness back into him."

After Haydock, the Lockerbie trainer hopes Merigo will get a run in the John Smith's Grand National at Aintree on 9 April. If not he will bid for back-to-back victories in the Scottish version the following Saturday.