For the third time in nine seasons, the Scottish Grand National card at Ayr on Saturday could well prove decisive in the race for the National Hunt trainers’ championship, and Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton have 18 and 10 runners respectively as they reprise their battle for the title 12 months ago.
Mullins was the first Irish-based trainer to win the title for 70 years in 2024, when a golden run through the major festivals in March and April swept him past Skelton, who had been the clear leader for the first 10 months of the campaign.
He has been odds-on to retain the championship since Nick Rockett, ridden by his son Patrick, led home a Mullins 1-2-3 in last Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree, when in all the stable netted nearly £850k of the £1m on offer in the season’s richest race.
Unlike in 2024, however, when Mullins had a narrow lead going to Ayr, he was still more than £100k behind Skelton at the start of racing on Friday and cannot afford to miss out on too many of the big pots that remain between now and the season finale at Sandown on 25 April.
The betting suggests that Mullins is around an even-money chance to win Saturday’s big race with one of his six-strong team, which is headed by Chosen Witness, Captain Cody and Olympic Man. Skelton, by contrast, relies on Sail Away and Snipe, priced up at 16-1 and 40-1 respectively, to try to land the £112k first prize.
Elsewhere on the card, Mullins will also saddle Ethical Diamond, the narrow favourite for the Scottish Champion Hurdle, which is worth £56k to the winner, and he has a runner at or near the top of the market in all eight races on the card.
With all eyes on the title race, however, it is easy to overlook the strength and depth of the feature event in particular, and The Kniphand (3.35), could well prove to be a significant obstacle in Mullins’s path.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’s gelding has progressed steadily in his second season over fences and posted a new career-best when finishing runner-up in the Grimthorpe at Doncaster last time. That was over three-and-a-quarter miles and The Kniphand shaped as though Saturday’s step up to an extreme trip will see further improvement.
Ayr 1.10 Tommy’s Oscar and Traprain Law fought out the finish to this race 12 months ago and Lucinda Russell’s chaser has the better form in recent months so could well turn the tables on 2lb better terms.
Newbury 1.25 David Menuisier’s Sunway lined up for five successive Group Ones at the end of his three-year-old campaign and can underline his potential for a win at the highest level this season.
Ayr 1.43 Willie Mullins’s Loughglynn has been handed a very fair mark for his handicap debut and should chip in with a £26k contribution to his trainer’s championship charge.
Quick Guide
Greg Wood’s Saturday tips
Show
Ayr 1.10 Traprain Law 1.43 Loughglynn 2.15 Kihavah 2.55 Rockola Vogue 3.35 The Kniphand (nap) 4.10 Histrionic 4.45 Chart Topper 5.20 Dysart Dolomite
Newbury 1.25 Sunway 2.00 Simmering 2.35 Jonquil 3.12 Metal Merchant (nb) 3.45 Crown Of Oaks 4.19 Ivatt 4.54 Westridge
Bangor-On-Dee 1.35 Sign Again 2.08 Bridget Mary 2.45 Gwennie May Star 3.20 King Ulanda 3.59 Too Cool Forshrule 4.34 Serious Chat 5.09 Portetta
Brighton 3.49 Cables Queen 4.24 Alkuwarrior 4.59 Bear To Dream 5.30 Hamlet’s Night 6.00 Formal Address 6.30 Blenheim Star 7.00 Mudlahhim 7.30 Hellavapace
Thirsk 3.55 Filly Foden 4.30 Illuminator 5.05 Paborus 5.40 Alzahir 6.10 Arrange 6.40 Musical Touch 7.10 Rock Of England 7.40 Athollblair Boy
Nottingham 4.05 Betweenthesticks 4.40 Mr Cool 5.15 Toby Tops 5.50 Archivist 6.20 Time Tells All 6.50 Hock Eye The Noo 7.20 Fifty Sent
Newbury 2.00 Five of the fillies in this year’s Fred Darling hold an entry in next month’s 1,000 Guineas and Ollie Sangster’s Simmering could emerge as the pick of the Classic hopefuls having performed with credit at Group One level on her last two starts in 2024.
Ayr 2.15 Another strong hand for the Mullins team in Ethical Diamond and Bunting, but the admirably versatile and consistent Kihavah, the runner-up in the Ebor Handicap at York last summer, could be a stern opponent back in a handicap after two decent runs in Graded company.
Newbury 2.35 The Greenham runner with proven Group One form at two is Brian Meehan’s Rashabar, but he faces a host of potential improvers at three including Jonquil, who was held back by inexperience as a juvenile and now starts his Classic season with Andrew Balding following Sir Michael Stoute’s retirement.
Quick Guide
Greg Wood’s Sunday racing tips
Show
Stratford-On-Avon 1.43 Keep On Cobbling 2.18 Groom De Cotte 2.50 Blackacre 3.25 Jackpot Cash 3.58 Magical Annie 4.28 Empire De Maulde
Musselburgh 3.45 Shine On Brendan (nb) 4.15 Clear Force 4.45 Zarzyni 5.15 Letsbefrank 5.45 Marhaba Ghaiyyath 6.15 Stockpyle 6.45 Oriental Prince (nap)
Ayr 2.55 Rockola Vogue overcame trouble in running to earn a narrow win at Musselburgh last time and can race off the same mark here.
Newbury 3.12 Last year’s winner, Metal Merchant, went on to run well in several of the season’s biggest handicaps and has an obvious chance of a repeat success off a 6lb higher mark.