Scottish Grand National Guide

The Scottish Grand National is one of four ‘nationals’ run in the United Kingdom every year. The Grade 3 Scottish Grand National handicap chase takes place in April, just weeks after the running of the prestigious Grand National steeplechase at Aintree.

The Scottish Grand National is run over a distance of 4 miles 110 yards at Ayr racecourse in Scotland. It is open to 6 year old and older national hunt racehorses, which take on 27 fences during the course of the race. The race typically features several high-profile participants from the Aintree Grand National.

The Elk emerged as the first Scottish Grand National winner, at the first Scottish Grand National raced in 1867. The race was originally hosted by Bogside racecourse where it was run over a distance of 3 miles and 7 furlongs, before being moved to Ayr in 1966.

Scottish Grand National Betting

The Scottish Grand National takes place at the peak of the national hunt season, and is well covered by all UK online sportsbooks. Ante-post betting markets become available at the start of the national hunt season, and tend to react to events at other major handicap steeplechase events.

Despite the fact that Grand National runners from Aintree regularly travel to the Scottish Grand National, the winner of the Aintree event rarely claims a second title at Ayr. The last horse to win both titles was Earth Summit, who won the Scottish Grand National in 1994, before claiming the Aintree Grand National in 1998.

The age of a racehorse seems to be an important factor in determining its prospects in the Scottish Grand National. Runners aged between 7 and 8 have won seven of the last ten Scottish Grand Nationals.

Weight is also a crucial factor on the softer Ayr turf. Punters may benefit from limiting selections weighted over 10 stone, as only one top-weight runner has won during the last decade.

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Scottish Grand National Winners

The Scottish Grand National is one of the most unpredictable national hunt handicap chases run in Great Britain. The race has a tendency to produce long-odds winners, with no particular racehorse or jockey managing to dominate the event.

The last horse to claim consecutive Scottish Grand National victories was Andromeda, which claimed Scottish Grand National winners titles in 1984 and 1985. Ferdy Murphy has been the most successful trainer in the event during the past decade, with three of his runners claiming Scottish Grand National winners titles since 2000.