The emphasis of this website is to detail the Aintree Grand National. However, it is important to remember there are other ‘Nationals’ on the Racing Calender, including both Scottish and Welsh.
The Scottish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase which takes place at Ayr Racecourse, Scotland, towards the end of April. This premier handicap is over a distance of almost 4 miles, with 27 fences.
This left-handed turf course has win prize money over £100,000.
It is the Scottish equivalent of the Aintree Grand National.
This race is open to horses aged 5 years and older.
Dating back to 1858, it was originally named the West of Scotland Grand National. It took place in the Lowlands of Scotland.
Similar to the Aintree Grand National, it consisted of 32 jumps, mainly stone walls.
The win prize: £100.
In 1867, the Scottish National moved to Bogside Racecourse, near Irvine, on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire. It hosted Flat and National Hunt racing on an undulating course. One of the major races was the Bogside Cup.
An interesting point about Bogside. On the 19th July 1957, jockey, Alec Russell rode all six winners on the card [Flat turf]. In fact, he won the last race the previous day at Lanark, to achieve 7 consecutive winners.
The inaugural running of the Scottish National, saw The Elk win for the Duke of Hamilton. In those days, the race was over 3 miles.
The distance increased to 4 miles in 1880.
In 1965, Bogside Racecourse closed, although point-to-point meetings continued until 1994.
The following year, it moved to Ayr Racecourse. African Patrol (1966) won for trainer Robert Fairbairn, ridden by Johnny Leech. The seven-year-old gelding carried 10-7lbs.
You may wonder how many horses have won both Aintree and the Scottish Nationals.
We have to go back to 1922 to see the first horse, Music Hall, trained by Owen Anthony, ridden by Lewis Rees, which ran in the silks of Hugh Kershaw.
Music Hall:
Scottish Grand National (1920)
Aintree Grand National Victory (1922) 24th March
Other horses to complete the double include: Merryman II, Little Polveir and Earth Summit.
The only horse to win both races in the same year is the legendary Red Rum in 1974. A great occasion for trainer Ginger McCain, rider Brian Fletcher and owner Noel Le Mare.
A trio of horses won the Scottish Grand National 3 times:
Couvrefeu – 1911, 1912, 1913
Southern Hero – 1934, 1936, 1939
Queen’s Taste – 1953, 1954, 1956
You have to go back a long way to find the leading jockey who secured 4 wins:
Charlie Cunningham (known as Scotland’s greatest jockey) – Bellman (1881), Wild Meadow (1885), Orcadian (1887) & Deloraine (1889).
In this modern era, with all 3 wins at Ayr Racecourse, Mark Dwyer had great success with Androma (1984, 1985) & Moorcroft Boy (1996).
Moorcroft Boy finished 3rd in the Aintree Grand National in 1994, behind Miinehoma. He retired after his easy win in the Scottish National at odds of 20/1. Amazingly, that day he was 16lb out of the handicap and Dwyer put up 2lb overweight.
Leading trainers with 5 wins:
Neville Crump: Wot No Sun (1949), Merryman II (1959), Arcturus (1968), Salkeld (1980) & Canton (1983)
Merryman II won the Aintree Grand National in 1960 at odds of 13/2f.
Ken Oliver was very successful with 5 wins: Pappageno’s Cottage (1963), The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979) & Cockle Strange (1982).
In the last 50-years, Willsford (1995) was the oldest winner of this race, aged 12.
Let’s take a look at the last decade of Scottish Grand National Winners:
2015 – *Wayward Prince (25/1), Trainer: Hilary Parrott
2016 – *Vicente (14/1), Trainer: Paul Nicholls
2017 – *Vicente (9/1), Trainer: Paul Nicholls
2018 – *Joe Farrell (33/1), Trainer: Rebecca Curtis
2019 – *Takingrisks (25/1), Trainer: Nicky Richards
2020 – No race (COVID 19)
2021 – *Mighty Thunder (8/1), Trainer: Lucinda Russell
2022 – Win My Wings (13/2), Trainer: Christian Williams
2023 – *Kitty’s Light (4/1), Trainer: Christian Williams
2024 – Macdermott (18/1), Trainer: Willie Mullins
* Denotes: Ran in Aintree Grand National at least once.
With the Scottish Grand National following Aintree, there’s always an opportunity for a ‘National horse’ to take its chance. Recent data adds to this point. However, very few horses have won both races.
Red Rum (1974) is the only horse to win both Aintree Grand National & Scottish Grand National in the same year.