A total of 71 horses have been entered for this year’s Coral Scottish Grand National with the £200,000 chase over nearly 4 miles attracting 25 entries from Ireland and 5 home-trained hopefuls.

Irish Champion trainer Willie Mullins is responsible for 10 of the Irish entries with the Scottish contingent made up of 2 horses from the Lucinda Russell yard and one each from Iain Jardine, Nick Alexander and Sandy Thomson.

Russell won the race in 2021 with Mighty Thunder and could run either, or both, from recent Edinburgh National winner Inis Oirr and last year’s Ayr 6th Your Own Story, while Nick Alexander has re-entered Elvis Mail which was a late withdrawal last year on account of the ground.

Early prices from race-sponsors Coral:
8/1 Kitty’s Light; 10/1 Git Maker; 12/1 Anglers Crag, Beauport, Elvis Mail, Inis Oirr; 14/1 Bar.

This year’s race is the focal point of Scotland’s first ever half-million pounds raceday and the other event which has closed for entries is the £100,000 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle which has attracted 48 possibles, including last year’s winner Rubaud which is one of 4 horses entered by trainer Paul Nicholls.

Ewan Whillans’ Cracking Rhapsody is one of 3 Scottish trained entries with charity horse Doddiethegreat (owned by Kenny Alexander and running for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation) one of 3 entries made by Nicky Henderson who won the race with Verdana Blue in 2019 and River Ceiriog in 1986.

This year’s Coral Scottish Grand National will be run 50 years to the day since Red Rum made racing history by completing the Grand National (Aintree) and Scottish Grand National double in the same year (1974), the only horse EVER to do so. 

Ayr Racecourse will unveil a plaque commemorating the legendary chaser’s unique achievement on the opening day of the meeting, Friday April 19 and a statue of Red Rum is already situated outside Western House Hotel after being commissioned and unveiled in 1975.