Scottish Grand National Day Betting Tips
The Scottish Grand National is back on Saturday afternoon with a 23-runner renewal declared for this year’s contest.
After Willie Mullins’ remarkable achievement at Aintree last week, the Irish maestro sends six over for Ayr’s feature race on Saturday.
We have analysis and selections for the five ITV races on Ayr’s card including a couple of value picks at rewarding odds.
13:10 Ayr - 2m½f Scotty Brand Handicap Chase
Tommy’s Oscar took the race out last year and returns 1lb lower for this year’s renewal. The 10-year-old showed he retained plenty of his old ability when fourth at Doncaster on his penultimate start and was still involved when unseating at Aintree last week.
These fences aren’t as demanding and he can bounce back over this course and distance to improve his impressive strike-rate under rules (12-31).
Selection: Tommy’s Oscar
13:43 Ayr - 3m CPMS Novices' Champion Handicap Chase
Whistle Stop Tour was a single figure price for the Scottish National later on the card so it’s a slight surprise to see him turn up for this engagement in which he’ll surely go close.
His form figures at Ayr read 13331, the latest of those a course and distance career best back in January and he probably found the Ultima a step too far at this stage of his career when pulled up at the Festival. A return to a small field should help and he appears to have leading claims.
Selection: Whistle Stop Tour
14:15 Ayr - 2m Scottish Champion Hurdle
Ethical Diamond followed up a wide margin maiden hurdle success with a staying on fourth to stablemate Kargese in the County Hurdle last time and there’s a suspicion he’s well treated from this sort of mark at present, despite a 1lb rise in the weights.
With a decent pace to aim at and Grand National winning jockey, Patrick Mullins retaining the ride, he should go well with a less exposed profile than many of his rivals.
Selection: Ethical Diamond
14:55 Ayr - 3m½f UK Greentech Glasgow Seafield Trophy Mares' Handicap Hurdle
Fox’s Fancy chased home a progressive sort at this venue last time out and there’s every chance that she can come on from that first run since October.
Lucinda Russell’s mare is well worth another go at this sort of trip given that she’s closely related to the yard’s Grand National winner, One For Arthur and the form of her second last time out has received several boosts subsequently.
Selection: Fox’s Fancy
15:35 Ayr - 4m Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase
This looks particularly competitive given the influx of Irish runners for this year’s renewal with a chance taken on Ben Pauling’s runner, Henry’s Friend.
He failed to recover from a slow start at the Cheltenham Festival last month but he had won four of his previous six chase starts prior to that run and he’s exactly the type that trainer Pauling excels with.
A return to a flat track may also help given that his best efforts have come at Newbury and he should appreciate the ground more than many of his rivals in this year’s race; he’s the play at an each-way sort of price.
Selection: Henry’s Friend
Browse all our horse racing markets here
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation