Scottish Grand National Tips: Expert Tips For Ayr Showpiece

After an awesome 1-2-3-5-7 at Aintree in the Grand National, retaining the British trainers’ title is in the sights of legendary trainer Willie Mullins. He sends an army of runners up to age for the valuable Scottish Grand National meeting, including a batch in the big race, and Billy Grimshaw is on hand to preview the contest here with a tip. No prizes for guessing who the trainer is!

Dan Skelton must be tearing his hair out post Aintree to once again, as happened in 2023/24, see his seemingly unassailable lead in the trainers’ title vanish at the hands of a rampaging Willie Mullins. It would take a pretty poor few weeks for the master of Closutton to not retain his championship from this position and that looks highly unlikely, particularly with so many bullets to fire at Ayr for their Scottish National Meeting. 

Chosen Witness has been the one of his team for money and is now favourite, but in a race as competitive as this I can leave him be at current odds, although he has drifted from 9/2 to 13/2 in a place which is starting to make him look more backable. The horse has an obvious chance and it’d be no surprise were he to have plenty in hand of his mark, however he’s always looked better on soft ground and with the stunning forecast recently and on Saturday - even in Scotland! - he will be forced to race on good, which may blunt his chance.

He is the market leader and the two second favourites are also from the Mullins team, Olympic Man and Macdermott. The latter of course won the race last year, but that was on softer ground and his form since is wretched, running four times and not competing once. He’s clearly been the pick of many as he’s come in from 18/1 to a best price of 9/1 as I pen this preview, but wouldn’t be for me. Olympic Man has more of a squeak to my eye with Aintree hero Patrick Mullins booked for the ride after Paul Townend was ruled out with injury, with an improving profile and the run style of one who will relish this extended trip. The concern again is the ground, but it may well improve him as it did Patrick’s mount down in Liverpool Nick Rockett so he was one I was keen not to rule out.

The first non Mullins runner in the market is last season’s second Surrey Quest, who was just denied by Macdermott as a seven year old in 2024 and has been minded for this race ever since. He’s run with credit on both starts this season, is up just 2lbs from last season’s mark and has winning form on good so Toby Lawes certainly rates the most likely trainer to do Dan Skelton a favour.

The Skelton team have Sail Away in here as their sole representative, but he’s hard to fancy given stamina doubts and recent form, so if looking for another British chance of victory Rock My Way makes appeal after a smashing second in the NH Chase at Cheltenham last time out. He and Henry’s Friend could enjoy this race, as could old boy Famous Bridge, but I’m once again siding with Willie Mullins and think CAPTAIN CODY - the seven year old with Harry Cobden booked - is the best bet in the field.

Klarc Kent (fourth here last year but wretched since) and Spanish Harlem complete the Mullins sextet, but now that’s out of the way allow me to explain why Captain Cody is the most likely Closutton winner to my eye. His form in a Beginners’ Chase when only a few lengths off Three Card Brag is some of the best in this field, and while he is still young to be winning this at seven and inexperienced with just three Chase starts, he smacks of the sort Mullins has managed to get into a valuable race with plenty in hand of his mark.

His fall last time out at Cheltenham does not breed confidence, I’ll accept that, but strangely before his mishap he had been jumping with much more fluency than on his couple of Beginners Chase efforts. His jumping looks to be more suited to a slightly slower pace and while they’re sure to go hard in here considering it’s a Grand National, he’s got a master of pace judgement in Harry Cobden on his back who will choose the right option for the horse to hopefully smuggle him into the race.

This tactic has worked well for the last few winners of the race, stalking a pace before exerting late on, and I can see the confident Cobden sneaking into this race before challenging on a horse full of running come the final few obstacles. It would be no great shock truth be told to see W.P. Mullins as the trainer of the first three home again, but for a bet I really do like Captain Cody and think this can be his big day in the sun.