We now know the 2024 Coral Scottish Grand National Runners, so here at GG we take a look at all 26 runners lining up for the marathon event run at Ayr racecourse on Saturday 20th April. Check out our Pinstickers’ Guide for the showpiece race north of the border here…
1. Stay Away Fay
(Paul Nicholls/Harry Cobden) 12st (Trainer/Jockey) (Weight)
A winner of the 2022 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, who has some smart form novice chasing this season. Last seen pulling up in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last month, but lines up for Paul Nicholls in this race as the proven class act for a yard who have tasted victory three times before in this race.
2. Mr Incredible
(Willie Mullins/Patrick Mullins) 11st 9lb
Was a gutsy runner-up in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter back in February, but ran no sort of race in last weekend’s Grand National at Aintree when unseating at The Chair. Makes a quick turnaround, but has shown he can be a handful at start, so punters will be hoping they get a run for their money.
3. Elvis Mail
(Nick Alexander/Bruce Lynn) 11st 3lb
A three-timers winner at Ayr, who warmed up for this event with a victory in a veterans’ handicap chase at Carlisle less than two weeks ago. Nick Alexander’s charge is a proven stayer, but may just lack the class of some of his rivals here.
4. Beauport
(Nigel Twiston-Davies/Jordan Nailor) 11st 1lb
Bounced back from a no-show in the Classic Chase at Warwick in January, where he pulled up, by storming to victory in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter last month. A real proven stayer, who is sure to be doing all his best work in the closing stages, but would want the ground to be as soft as possible.
5. Ontheropes
(Willie Mullins/Brian Hayes) 10st 11lb
A former winner of the Munster National, who has struggled in recent seasons to land any sort of blow in valuable staying handicap chases in Ireland. Finished a well beaten seventh in the Leinster National last month, so will need to improve on that effort here, but does have the master in Willie Mullins as his handler.
6. Spanish Harlem
(Willie Mullins/Paul Townend) 10st 10lb
Yet to taste victory over fences in his three starts and has grabbed the bronze medal in all three of those contests. Will be another of the Willie Mullins battalion heading to Ayr for this test, but being a six-year-old he’s open to significant improvement, but may lack the experience for this assignment so early in his career, but does have last weekend’s Grand National-winning combination of Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
7. Gold Cup Bailly
(Stuart Crawford/JJ Slevin) 10st 10lb
Progressive eight-year-old that has already won two races over fences at Ayr. Heads into the Scottish Grand National on the back of a ninth placed finish in a competitive Aintree handicap chase last weekend, so will need to improve on that effort in what is a quick turnaround for Stuart Crawford’s charge.
8. Iron Bridge
(Jonjo O’Neill/Jonjo O’Neill Jr) 10st 9lb
Second in the Welsh Grand National back in December, Iron Bridge then ran another decent race when second in the Grand National Trial at Haydock a couple of months later. Failed to figure when well fancied in the Midlands Grand National, where he pulled up, but he’s shown he excels over extreme distances, so has to be respected from an each-way perspective.
9. Whistleinthedark
(Laura Morgan/Danny McMenamin) 10st 8lb
Sent off 100/1 for the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last month, Laura Morgan’s raider finished a well beaten 10th, so has to improve here. Yet to taste victory over a distance further than 2m 4f, so stamina is certainly going to be stretched and he looks to face a tough ask here.
10. Ballygrifincottage
(Dan Skelton/Harry Skelton) 10st 8lb
A lightly-raced nine-year-old that only has two career wins on his CV under Rules, but he warmed up for this effort with a decent second at Sandown last month. Stepping into new territory in terms of tackling 4m+, but the Dan Skelton team certainly know how to get them ready for a handicap, so don’t ignore.
11. Macdermott
(Willie Mullins/Danny Mullins) 10st 7lb
Unexposed six-year-old that has been well backed in recent weeks and was last seen storming to a 12-length victory at Fairyhouse. More is needed here, but attractively weighted to run a huge race and is open to significant improvement again and looks the one to beat.
12. Tommie Beau
(Seamus Mullins/Micheal Nolan) 10st 6lb
A hugely consistent performer this season, who hasn’t been out of the top three in his last four starts and in that time has notched up two wins. Third in the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February shows he excels over a trip, so is another etched into the each-way contender bracket.
13. Broken Halo
(Paul Nicholls/Bryony Frost) 10st 5lb
Second in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown two starts ago, while he returned to winning ways at Taunton last time out, so heads to Ayr in decent form. This is a notable step up, however, so he will need to produce his best to stand any sort of chance against arguably better handicapped rivals.
14. Mr Vango
(Sara Bradstock/Ben Jones) 10st 5lb
A stunning 60-length winner of the Devon National at Exeter two starts ago, Mr Vango then ran well for a long way in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished third. Likely to try and lead here, he’s going to face a hard task to maintain a lead in such a competitive event.
15. Autonomous Cloud
(Fergal O’Brien/Jonathan Burke) 10st 4lb
Improving eight-year-old stayer that bounced back from pulling up in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow by finishing fourth in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter. Fergal O’Brien’s charge looks to be all about stamina and is one that could relish the test the Scottish Grand National has to offer.
Scottish Grand National Trends – Key Stats & Selections for Ayr’s Seasonal Highlight
The Scottish National is the biggest race north of the border and takes place on Saturday. Dave Young has analysed all of the relevant trends for the race below, with all they key statistics covered and selections provided. England won the World Cup in 1966 and the Scottish Grand National had just been moved to…
Tue 16 Apr 202416. Anglers Crag
(Brian Ellison/Henry Brooke) 10st 4lb
Has been a real winning machine this season and will bid for a five-timer when he lines up at Ayr on Saturday for Brian Ellison and Henry Brooke. A narrow winner of the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February, the nine-year-old will have another 8lbs to defy here, so it’s going to be a tough ask.
17. Inis Oirr
(Lucinda Russell/Derek Fox) 10st 3lb
A consistent seven-year-old that romped to an emphatic 21-length victory in the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh back in February. Given a whopping 14lbs rise for that win, so it’s hard to know what effect that will have on his chances, but he does head to Ayr in the form of his life for the proven National-winning duo of Lucinda Russell and Derek Fox.
18. My Silver Lining
(Emma Lavelle/James Best) 10st 3lb
A winner of the Classic Chase at Warwick in January, My Silver Lining then ran a fine race to finish second in the Grand National Trial at Haydock before finishing third in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter last month. A real model of consistency in these sort of events, the dashing grey is sure to give a bold bid for connections.
19. Git Maker
(Jamie Snowden/Gavin Sheehan) 10st 3lb
A career best when second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Inothewayurthinkin in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, Jamie Snowden’s Git Maker will now look to land Scottish Grand National glory. He pulled 18 lengths clear of the third in the Kim Muir, so is going the right way and is a leading player here, providing those Cheltenham exertions haven’t taken too much out of him.
20. Surrey Quest
(Toby Lawes/Kevin Brogan) 10st 3lb
Won the Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury at the end of 2023, but could only finish in 10th in the Great Yorkshire Handicap Chase at Doncaster on his last start. Has been off the track for nearly four months, so will line up a fresh horse, but he may just lack the quality of some of his rivals here and it’s going to be hard work.
21. Klarc Kent
(Willie Mullins/Sean O’Keeffe) 10st 2lb
Winless in four starts over fences for Willie Mullins and was last seen finishing second at Fairyhouse. Certainly not one of the bigger names from the red-hot Closutton yard and will need to improve significantly on what he’s shown on the track to play any sort of starring role here.
22. Whacker Clan
(Henry De Bromhead/Rachael Blackmore) 10st 2lb
Started the season with some taking wins at Tramore and Cheltenham and he was seen at the latter in March finishing third in the Kim Muir Handicap Chase. Well beaten by Git Maker that day, who he reopposes here, but he’s shown to have some ability and is one of the more interesting contenders at the bottom of the weights.
23. Egbert
(Alan King/Brendan Powell) 10st 2lb
Two wins from four starts over fences is a pretty good record to have for Alan King’s charge and Egbert was last seen finishing second at Kempton off a mark of 128. He’s been given a 2lbs rise for that run and now off 130 in a big field he has to show he can continue on an upward curve.
24. Punitive
(Peter Bowen/William Maggs) 10st 2lb
Experienced handicap chaser that once won the Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse for Gordon Elliott, but now under the stewardship of Peter Bowen he faces a tough ask here. A well beaten third in the West Wales National at Ffos Las on his last outing, the veteran is unlikely to figure.
25. Secret Reprieve
(Evan Williams/James Turner) 10st 2lb
An epic winner of the 2020 Welsh Grand National, Secret Reprieve is now rated 3lbs lower than that fine Chepstow win a few seasons back, but he heads to Ayr on the back of a long losing run. He’s tasted success since winning the Welsh National, so is hard to fancy having finished sixth at Sandown last time.
26. We’llhavewan
(Willie Mullins/Kieran Callaghan) 10st 2lb
Sixth in the Irish Grand National back at the start of the month, We’llhavewan is running off a 4lbs higher mark in this contest, so will have to improve on that Fairyhouse run. Has a featherweight to carry, but does need to show improvement to make the frame.
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