Scottish Grand National Tips Today: Best Bets for Ayr on Saturday 18 April 2026

The Scottish Grand National takes centre stage at Ayr on Saturday afternoon, with a huge field set to tackle one of the toughest staying tests of the jumps season. It is always a race that demands a bit more than just raw ability, with stamina, jumping and luck in running all playing their part, and this year’s renewal looks no different. Billy Grimshaw has gone through the contenders and picked out his idea of the winner.

To say KIM ROQUE got a poor ride at Cheltenham would be an understatement, with Joseph O'Brien's fast finishing six-year-old given next to no chance anchored in rear before storming home for fourth in the Kim Muir. Clearly, the odds compilers for Saturday at Ayr believe he is better than that result as he is the market leader for the 2026 Scottish Grand National, a race which looks sure to suit, given the marathon test on offer. I'm in no doubt he has a few pounds in hand and now that J J Slevin takes over in the plate I expect him to be ridden much more prominently and have no stamina doubts whatsoever. His mark looks lenient, given his Cheltenham form, - both last time and the time previously - and given he is still just six he is the unexposed contender in this field. Backing the favourite in a Grand National went well for those at Aintree, and although it is not as exciting as putting up an outsider, he is the best horse in this field to my eye and I'd not be shocked to see him go off a well backed 3/1 favourite and win. Take the 5s now if you can.

This is not the strongest Scottish Grand National we have ever seen but it is competitive. King Of Answers would be a popular winner given he represents the home team of Scudamore and Russell but for all he improved and ran a career best in the National Hunt Chase he has a lot of weight to lug around here. Whatever I think of the horse, though, I cannot back him giving a stone to Kim Roque, for all I do rate the National Hunt Chase as a piece of form and will be following the winner next season. One suspects we will see the absolute best of King Of Answers when he encounters softer ground, too.

Ask Brewster won the Kim Muir in which Kim Roque could only manage fourth and looks to potentially be on for another easy lead here, however, given he was all out to win that race over 3m2 and has been hiked up 7lbs for this race, he is one I'll be avoiding. The other pace angle could be Isaac Des Obeaux for Paul Nicholls, who has won two of the last nine renewals of this race. He bounced back to form to spring a bit of a surprise last time out in the Midlands National and while this will be tougher given the competitiveness of the field and his rise in the weights, the rest of the field would do well to not let Sam Twiston-Davies loose on the front end. He is a danger.

The other Nicholls horse Quebecois is the choice of Harry Cobden - although it is tough to tell who is top man at Ditcheat these days with Cobden having one foot out of the door - and he looks the ideal type to finally go a few places better to win a big one here. He ran a stormer on handicap debut in the Ultima, going down under a length in third, and could well be prominent along with his stablemate if Harry Cobden decides he is confident in his mount's staying power. He has a shot, but I think I'd prefer to back Isaac Des Obeaux in a match-up between the pair.

Road To Home is in the same category as Ask Brewster in that - in my view - both were lucky to finish ahead of Kim Roque in the Kim Muir due to their prominent position in a dawdle of a race. Another flashback to Cheltenham comes with top weight Blaze The Way for Mags Mullins, with son Danny set to take the ride. We can almost always put a line through the Irish runners in the Ultima as they just never win, but this lad ran with plenty of credit just weakening out of contention late. Top weight here won't make it easy, especially with the ground softening, but if he gets into a good rhythm Danny Mullins is a jockey I love having onside and I wouldn't rule him out of the race.

Clearly there are chances aplenty in here but the more I watch back that Kim Muir, the more I think the best horse in the race is in fourth. Given we now get a chance to back him at 5/1 - the each-way scumbag's favourite price - I think he is one of the better place bets you will see all jumps season. Joseph O'Brien will no doubt have been targeting the Kim Muir all season but he is a wonderful trainer and would not be sending him here for the trip to Scotland. If he wasn't at the peak of his powers, the six year old would be put away for a big pot next season, so trust in O'Brien junior and back the market leader.