The Scottish Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of about 4 miles (3 miles 7 furlongs and 176 yards, or 6,397 metres) and during its running there are 27 fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and takes place each year in April. It is Scotland's equivalent of the Grand National, and is held during Ayr's two-day Scottish Grand National Festival meeting.

History The race, then known as the "West of Scotland Grand National", was first run at a course near Houston, Renfrewshire in 1858. It consisted of 32 jumps, mainly stone walls.

In 1867, after objections by the leader of the Free Kirk in Houston, the race moved to Bogside Racecourse, near Irvine. The inaugural winner at Bogside, The Elk, was owned by the Duke of Hamilton. During the early part of its history the race's distance was about . It was later extended to , and became known by its present title in 1880, when it was won by Peacock.

Bogside Racecourse closed in 1965, and the Scottish Grand National was transferred to Ayr the following year. At this point the race was increased to its present length. Several winners of the Scottish Grand National have also won its English counterpart at Aintree. The first to complete the double was Music Hall, the winner of the 1922 Grand National. The feat has been achieved more recently by Little Polveir and Earth Summit, but the only horse to win both races in the same year was Red Rum in 1974.

In 2021, the race was moved to a Sunday due to the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, taking place on Saturday

Prize money The winning horse in 1867 won £100, increasing to £440 by 1906, £1030 in 1950, £5,436 in 1963 and £122,433 in 2019.

Television coverage The first television coverage of the Scottish National was in 1953 on the BBC. It was also shown the following year, but then wasn't screened again until 1969 on ITV and has been shown live ever since. Coverage moved to Channel 4 in 1986 and back to ITV in 2017.

Records Most successful horse (3 wins): Couvrefeu II – 1911, 1912, 1913 Southern Hero – 1934, 1936, 1939 Queen's Taste – 1953, 1954, 1956

Leading jockey All-time (4 wins) Charlie Cunningham – Bellman (1881), Wild Meadow (1885), Orcadian (1887), Deloraine (1889) At Ayr (3 wins) Mark Dwyer – Androma (1984, 1985), Moorcroft Boy (1996)

Leading trainer All-time (5 wins) Neville Crump – Wot No Sun (1949), Merryman II (1959), Arcturus (1968), Salkeld (1980), Canton (1983) Ken Oliver – Pappageno's Cottage (1963), The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979), Cockle Strand (1982) At Ayr (4 wins) Ken Oliver – The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979), Cockle Strand (1982)

Winners at Ayr Weights given in stones and pounds Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer 1966 African Patrol 7 10-07 Johnny Leech Robert Fairbairn 1967 The Fossa 10 09-12 Andrew Turnell Fred Rimell 1968 Arcturus 7 10-04 Pat Buckley Neville Crump 1969 Playlord 8 12-00 Ron Barry Gordon W. Richards 1970 The Spaniard 8 10-00 Barry Brogan Ken Oliver 1971 Young Ash Leaf 7 10-02 Peter Ennis Ken Oliver 1972 Quick Reply 7 09-09 Maurice Barnes Harry Bell 1973 Esban 9 09-11 Jimmy Bourke Robert Clay 1974 Red Rum 9 11–13 Brian Fletcher Ginger McCain 1975 Barona 9 10-00 Paul Kelleway Roddy Armytage 1976 Barona 10 10-02 Paul Kelleway Roddy Armytage 1977 Sebastian V 9 10-02 Ridley Lamb Harry Bell 1978 King Con 9 09-13 Peter Craggs Graham Renilson 1979 Fighting Fit 7 10–10 Colin Hawkins Ken Oliver 1980 Salkeld 8 10-00 Denis Atkins Neville Crump 1981 Astral Charmer 8 09-10 John Goulding Harry Bell 1982 Cockle Strand 9 09-11 David Dutton Ken Oliver 1983 Canton 9 10-02 Kevin Whyte Neville Crump 1984 Androma 7 10-00 Mark Dwyer Jimmy FitzGerald 1985 Androma 8 10-00 Mark Dwyer Jimmy FitzGerald 1986 Hardy Lad 9 10-00 Micky Hammond Jumbo Wilkinson 1987 Little Polveir 10 10-00 Peter Scudamore John Edwards 1988 Mighty Mark 9 10-05 Brian Storey Frank Walton 1989 Roll-a-Joint 11 10-00 Brendan Powell Chris Popham 1990 Four Trix 9 10-00 Derek Byrne Gordon W. Richards 1991 Killone Abbey 8 10-00 Chris Grant Arthur Stephenson 1992 Captain Dibble 7 11-00 Peter Scudamore Nigel Twiston-Davies 1993 Run for Free 9 11–10 Mark Perrett Martin Pipe 1994 Earth Summit 6 10-00 David Bridgwater Nigel Twiston-Davies 1995 Willsford 12 10–12 Rodney Farrant Jenny Pitman 1996 Moorcroft Boy 11 10-02 Mark Dwyer David Nicholson 1997 Belmont King 9 11–10 Tony McCoy Paul Nicholls 1998 Baronet 8 10-00 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson 1999 Young Kenny 8 11–10 Brendan Powell Peter Beaumont 2000 Paris Pike 8 11-00 Adrian Maguire Ferdy Murphy 2001 Gingembre 7 11-02 Andrew Thornton Lavinia Taylor 2002 Take Control 8 10-06 Ruby Walsh Martin Pipe 2003 Ryalux 10 10-05 Richard McGrath Andy Crook 2004 Grey Abbey 10 11–12 Graham Lee Howard Johnson 2005 Joes Edge 8 09-11 Keith Mercer Ferdy Murphy 2006 Run for Paddy 10 10-02 Carl Llewellyn Carl Llewellyn 2007 Hot Weld 8 09-09 P. J. McDonald Ferdy Murphy 2008 Iris de Balme 8 09-07 Charlie Huxley Sean Curran 2009 Hello Bud 11 10-09 Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies 2010 Merigo 9 10-00 Timmy Murphy Andrew Parker 2011 Beshabar 9 10-04 Richard Johnson Tim Vaughan 2012 Merigo 11 10-02 Timmy Murphy Andrew Parker 2013 Godsmejudge 7 11-03 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King 2014 Al Co 9 10-02 Jamie Moore Peter Bowen 2015 Wayward Prince 11 10-07 Robbie Dunne Hilary Parrott 2016 Vicente 7 11-03 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2017 Vicente 8 11–10 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2018 Joe Farrell 9 10-06 Adam Wedge Rebecca Curtis 2019 Takingrisks 10 10-01 Sean Quinlan Nicky Richards no race 2020 2021 Mighty Thunder 8 11-01 Tom Scudamore Lucinda Russell 2022 Win My Wings 9 10-12 Rob James Christian Williams 2023 Kitty's Light 7 11-00 Jack Tudor Christian Williams 2024 Macdermott 6 10-07 Danny Mullins Willie Mullins 2025 Captain Cody 7 11-04 Harry Cobden Willie Mullins 2026 Kap Vert 6 10-12 Sean Houlihan Philip Hobbs & Johnson White

Winners at Bogside Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer1947Rowland Roy811-02Mr Richard BlackFulke Walwyn1948Magnetic Fin910-05Lionel VickCharlie Hall1949Wot No Sun711-05Arthur ThompsonNeville Crump1950Sanvina1012-02Ken OliverJ Wight1951Court Painter119-07Frankie CarrollVerley Bewicke1952Flagrant Mac811–12Jimmy PowerBobby Renton1953Queen's Taste710-02Tommy RobsonH Clarkson1954Queen's Taste810-09George SlackH Clarkson1955Bar Point810-02Derek AncilBobby Renton1956Queen's Taste1011-00Dick CurranH Clarkson1957Bremontier1010–12Adolphe RossioP Taylor1958Game Field811–10Jack BoddyJ Fawcus1959Merryman II810–12Gerry ScottNeville Crump1960Fincham810-00Mick BatchelorJ White1961Kinmont Wullie710-07Chris StobbsArthur Stephenson1962Sham Fight1010–10Tommy RobsonT Robson1963Pappageno's Cottage810-09Tim BrookshawKen Oliver1964Popham Down710–00Johnny HaineFulke Walwyn1965Brasher910-05Jimmy FitzGeraldTommy Robson

Earlier winners

1867 – The Elk 1868 – Greenland 1869 – Huntsman 1870 – Snowstorm 1871 – Keystone 1872 – Cinna 1873 – Hybla 1874 – Ouragon II 1875 – Solicitor 1876 – Earl Marshal 1877 – Solicitor 1878 – no race 1879 – Militant 1880 – Peacock 1881 – Bellman 1882 – Gunboat 1883 – Kerclaw 1884 – The Peer 1885 – Wild Meadow 1886 – Crossbow 1887 – Orcadian 1888 – Ireland 1889 – Deloraine 1890 – no race 1891 – see note below 1892 – Lizzie 1893 – Lady Ellen II 1894 – Leybourne 1895 – Nepcote 1896 – Cadlaw Cairn 1897 – Modest Friar 1898 – Trade Mark 1899 – Tyrolean 1900 – Dorothy Vane 1901 – Big Busbie 1902 – Canter Home 1903 – Chit Chat 1904 – Innismacsaint 1905 – Theodocian 1906 – Creolin 1907 – Barney III 1908 – Atrato 1909 – Mount Prospect's Fortune 1910 – The Duffrey 1911 – Couvrefeu II 1912 – Couvrefeu II 1913 – Couvrefeu II 1914 – Scrabee 1915 – Templedowney 1916 – no race 1917 – no race 1918 – no race 1919 – The Turk 1920 – Music Hall 1921 – no race 1922 – Sergeant Murphy 1923 – Harrismith 1924 – Royal Chancellor 1925 – Gerald L. 1926 – Estuna 1927 – Estuna 1928 – Ardeen 1929 – Donzelon 1930 – Drintyre 1931 – Annandale 1932 – Clydesdale 1933 – Libourg 1934 – Southern Hero 1935 – Kellsboro' Jack 1936 – Southern Hero 1937 – Right'un 1938 – Young Mischief 1939 – Southern Hero 1940–46 – no race

See also Welsh Grand National Irish Grand National Ulster Grand National Horse racing in Scotland List of British National Hunt races

Sources

References

Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

External links pedigreequery.com – Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase – Ayr. racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (12 April 2002). tbheritage.com – Scottish Grand National. Race Recordings (1974-2010) youtube.com