Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 Scottish Grand National Preview
First run in 1858, the Scottish Grand National moved to its current home of Ayr in 1966. The race carries the same Class 1 Premier Handicap status as the Aintree Grand National, and the runners (aged 5 years and upwards) tackle 27 standard national hunt chase obstacles over a distance around 25 yards short of 4 miles.
Usually staged a couple of weeks later than Aintree, depending on the Easter calendar. The only horse to win both races in the same year was the great Red Rum back in 1974, Music Hall was the first horse to win both in 1922 and the most recent dual winner Earth Summit in 1994 is the only horse to have won the Scottish Grand National, Welsh Grand National and English Grand National.
Scottish Grand National Information:
- Scottish Grand National Past Winners
- Scottish Grand National Trainer Statistics
- Scottish Grand National Jockey Statistics
Our dedicated Ayr tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Scottish Grand National but will also have predictions for each meeting at Ayr throughout the season so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information, head down to the Other Principal Races at Ayr Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Scottish Grand National market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2007 when the race had an over-round of 125%. The race in 2018 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 145%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Scottish Grand National, the over-round has been 134%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £134 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Scottish Grand National Trends, see which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal, we also have a section that looks at the Scottish Grand National Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Scottish Grand National over the last 20 renewals:
- Hot Weld (7:55.10) in 2007
- Joe Farrell (8:00.50) in 2018
- Takingrisks (8:02.40) in 2019
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Scottish Grand National next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -7.25. Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Grand National, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Hot Weld, trained by Ferdy Murphy and ridden by P J McDonald, who set the fastest winning time in the Scottish Grand National. That runner won the race in a time of 7:55.10 in 2007. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Peter Bowen and jockey Jamie Moore with Al Co who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 8:35.70 in the 2014 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Scottish Grand National Past Winners
Here are the Scottish Grand National past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Scottish Grand National are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 8:20.56 | Captain Cody (IRE) 7yo 11-4 9/1 | Harry Cobden W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 8:25.96 | Macdermott (FR) 6yo 10-7 18/1 | Danny Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 8:10.29 | Kittys Light (GB) 7yo 11-0 4/1F | Jack Tudor Christian Williams (GB) |
| 2022 8:04.57 | Win My Wings (IRE) 9yo 10-12 13/2F | Mr R James (7lbs) Christian Williams (GB) |
| 2021 8:21.70 | Mighty Thunder (GB) 8yo 11-1 8/1 | Tom Scudamore Lucinda Russell (GB) |
| 2019 8:02.40 | Takingrisks (IRE) 10yo 10-1 25/1 | Sean Quinlan Nicky Richards (GB) |
| 2018 8:00.50 | Joe Farrell (IRE) 9yo 10-6 33/1 | Adam Wedge Rebecca Curtis (GB) |
| 2017 8:05.50 | Vicente (FR) 8yo 11-10 9/1F | Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2016 8:24.10 | Vicente (FR) 7yo 11-3 14/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2015 8:05.70 | Wayward Prince (GB) 11yo 10-1 25/1 | Robert Dunne Hilary Parrott (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Scottish Grand National have been based:
- GB: 16 winners with an additional 54 placings from 442 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 5 placings from 50 runners
- FR: 2 winners with an additional 1 placing from 8 runners
Scottish Grand National Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Scottish Grand National over the last 20 renewals, with Paul Nicholls, W P Mullins and Christian Williams having all won the race two times. Paul Nicholls' winners have been with Vicente (2016 & 2017). W P Mullins winners have been with Macdermott (2024) and Captain Cody (2025). Christian Williams' winners have been with Win My Wings (2022) and Kittys Light (2023). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Scottish Grand National, Sue Smith (0-23), David Pipe (0-18), Nicky Henderson (0-14), Philip Hobbs (0-13), Venetia Williams (0-13) and Sandy Thomson (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Scottish Grand National trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Nicholls | 29-2-5 | -4.00 | -7.68 |
| W P Mullins | 13-2-4 | +16.00 | +14.88 |
| Christian Williams | 4-2-3 | +8.50 | +5.87 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 23-1-9 | -10.00 | +16.15 |
| Peter Bowen | 19-1-2 | +22.00 | +12.50 |
| Lucinda Russell | 18-1-1 | -9.00 | -12.00 |
| Alan King | 17-1-6 | -4.00 | +7.13 |
| Nicky Richards | 10-1-2 | +16.00 | +10.26 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 2-1-1 | +32.00 | +19.63 |
| Tim Vaughan | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
Scottish Grand National Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Scottish Grand National over the last 20 renewals is Sam Twiston-Davies, who has won the race two times with those two winners coming from Vicente (2016 & 2017). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Scottish Grand National, Harry Skelton has ridden 10 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Scottish Grand National jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 14-2-4 | +11.00 | +9.01 |
| Sean Quinlan | 7-1-2 | +19.00 | +12.63 |
| Harry Cobden | 6-1-1 | +4.00 | +0.63 |
| Robert Dunne | 5-1-1 | +21.00 | +11.63 |
| Danny Mullins | 5-1-2 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Adam Wedge | 3-1-1 | +31.00 | +18.63 |
| Jack Tudor | 2-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.81 |
| P J McDonald | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Mr R James | 1-1-1 | +6.50 | +4.06 |
| Harry Skelton | 10-0-1 | -10.00 | -8.25 |
2026 Scottish Grand National Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): PU, (PU, 2), 2, 4, (5, PU), 2, 8, PU, PU, (6, PU, PU), 6, (5, F), (1, 15), PU, 6, 2, (1, 2, PU), (1, 6), PU, 7
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (73%) - No bigger than 18/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Won within last 6 starts
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Not on HY/GF/FM/STD (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Ran in 3 - 7 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Ran in 9 - 33 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 3 - 6 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran over 1m4½f - 2m5½f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in 2 - 22 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 82+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not BL/BR/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved a TS of 88+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 4 - 22 races (Chase)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest ran 3m½f - 4m2½f
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Won is not LST/Cl4-5
- 19 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 132+ (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ayr racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Scottish Grand National. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Scottish Grand National by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Scottish Grand National Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +107.00, is when runners had 1 win in the past 90 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran on Heavy ground on debut, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-68.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Scottish Grand National is Cheltenham, there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 493 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 7 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Scottish Grand National:
- Dom Alco (3 Wins)
- Pistolet Bleu (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Scottish Grand National despite multiple attempts:
- Milan (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Brian Boru (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Beneficial (0 Wins from 7 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Iris De Balme in 2008, winning for Sean Curran at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Charlie Huxley. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Scottish Grand National, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Scottish Grand National
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Scottish Grand National, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Captain Cody Cheltenham - UR of 18 (12/1) | National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup |
| 2024 - Macdermott Fairyhouse - 1st of 9 (5/1) | Envirogreen Building Services Handicap Chase |
| 2023 - Kittys Light Newcastle - 1st of 13 (7/4) | Eider Chase |
| 2022 - Win My Wings Newcastle - 1st of 16 (11/2) | Eider Chase |
| 2021 - Mighty Thunder Uttoxeter - 2nd of 20 (18/1) | Midlands Grand National |
| 2019 - Takingrisks Carlisle - 1st of 6 (11/2) | Aglionby Veterans Handicap Chase |
| 2018 - Joe Farrell Newbury - 1st of 6 (3/1) | Rosemary Appeal Novices Limited Handicap Chase |
| 2017 - Vicente Aintree - F of 40 (16/1) | Grand National |
| 2016 - Vicente Cheltenham - 5th of 20 (14/1) | National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup |
| 2015 - Wayward Prince Ascot - 3rd of 8 (6/1) | Davidstow Veterans Handicap Chase |
Scottish Grand National 2026 Runners
The first declarations will consist of a large field, trainers will pull out runners for various reasons and then there will be five-day declarations which will narrow the field down drastically before the final declarations which will be on the Thursday before the race, there is a maximum number of thirty horse allowed in the Scottish Grand National.
- Five-Day Declarations (6th April)
- Final Declarations (9th April)
- The Race (11th April)
Scottish National Tips
There are several ways of narrowing down the field to find yourself a Scottish National tip and the most popular are by using the trends, these look back at previous renewals to find trends, a full list of which you can find above.
You don't want a runner who was unfancied too badly last time it ran, runners who came into the Scottish National having been sent off bigger than 18/1 in their last race have not produced a winner from a total of 133 runners!
In this type of race, you certainly do not want a horse who has been over-run, but at the same time you need one who has seen a racecourse, those who have 3-7 starts in the past year are the ones to focus on, those outside of those numbers are 0-99.
- Use Trends to narrow down the field
- Read the Comments from the best horse racing tipsters
- View the most popular Scottish National tips
In such a demanding race, the weight a horse has to carry, too, can be a factor. Grey Abbey in 2004 was the last successful runner to win carrying top weight. Fifteen of the last twenty winners carried 14lbs+ less than the top-weighted horse, and eleven of those carried 20lbs+ less than the top weight.
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Scottish Grand National Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
FAQ
Scottish Grand National FAQ's
What date is the 2026 Scottish Grand National?
The 2026 Scottish Grand National will take place on Saturday, the 11th of April, the second day of the Ayr Scottish Grand National Festival, with the most recent renewals having a start time of 15:35.
Who are the Scottish Grand National 2026 runners?
The entry process for the Scottish Grand National is yet to take place, owners and trainers will be able to enter their horses close to the race and then the field will be cut down through the elimination process, with the final field being decided on Thursday, the 9th of April.
What are the best Scottish Grand National tips?
If you are looking for Scottish Grand National tips then you will find them on this page, once the final field is declared, the OLBG expert racing tipsters will begin to add their Scottish National tips which will become available on this page. You will see which runner is receiving the most picks in the race to win, making that runner the best Scottish Grand National tip.
What are the past Scottish Grand National winners?
The most recent winner of the Scottish Grand National was the Willie Mullins trained Captain Cody, who won the race in 2025. The seven-year-old carried eleven stone four pounds to victory at a starting price of 9/1! The win made it two wins on the bounce for Willie Mullins, having won it a year earlier with Macdermott.
What is the favourite for the Scottish Grand National?
A market will be put up closer to the race itself, at present the bookies are yet to price up the 2026 Scottish Grand National but you can expect anything from the Irish will be prominent in the market, along with home trainer Lucinda Russell.
