2025 Scottish Grand National Prediction: Which horse can win at Ayr?

🏆 🏇Scottish Grand National Prediction 2025

Last year Willie Mullins won the Scottish Grand National with Macdermott, thus ending a winless streak for Irish horses in the race that dated all the way back to 1869 when Huntsman won the race run at Bogside in Ayrshire. Now the Closutton powerhouse will be going for back-to-back wins, just as he achieved at Aintree when Nick Rockett scored under his son, Patrick Mullins. That win on Merseyside has propelled Mullins to a position whereby he is firmly expected to retain the British trainers' championship, and a win in this Ayr showpiece would be a massive step towards the goal. Given his incredible domination at Aintree, Mullins is sure to have representation amongst the Scottish Grand National Favourites 2025 as the field takes shape for Saturday's big race.

High Class Hero beat stablemate Lough Lynn in a beginners' chase at Punchestown in February over 2m6½f, the winner travelling powerfully and settling the issue in good style under Paul Townend. Like Macdermott a year ago, he isn't the most experienced chaser, but he was a quality operator in his short stint over hurdles – finishing second in a three-mile Grade 1 novice at Punchestown last spring – and he could be set to excel himself upped in trip/grade for the Scottish Grand National in the silks of Sullivan Bloodstock.

🏇 Scottish Grand National Betting Preview

Last year, Willie Mullins saddled six of the 26 Scottish Grand National runners for this Ayr showpiece and he had four of the first six that passed the winning line as Klarc Kent (50-1), Ontheropes (66-1) and Spanish Harlem (12-1) finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Irish raiders don't typically do well in this race and while Mullins is a very obvious exception to any rule, the home team will have designs on thwarting him now. There are lots of UK-based contenders primed to go well in the big race and punters can expect to see plenty free bets offer ahead of the Ayr contest. Below are three potential contenders for major yards in Britain.

1️⃣ Whistle Stop Tour / Lucinda Russell

Scotland's premier jumps trainer, Lucinda Russell won this race with Mighty Thunder in 2021 and has also bagged two wins in the Aintree version with One For Arthur and Corach Rambler either side of that Ayr success. She will have her eyes fixed on the race again and at a price of 15.00 at BoyleSports. Whistle Stop Tour could emerge as a leading contender for her team. The seven-year-old gelding was fancied for last month's Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but he was badly hampered at the first fence and never recovered as stablemate Myretown dominated and won. Prior to that Whistle Stop Tour was progressing nicely and he is a 3m winner over fences at Ayr already this season. He's worth forgiving his Cheltenham run.

• 11.00 @ William Hill
• 13.00 @ LeoVegas
• 15.00 @ BoyleSports

2️⃣ Hasthing / Jonjo & AJ O'Neill

Coming into this race after a fall isn't optimal but Hasthing was in the process of running a big race in the National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month when he came to grief at the second last under Jonjo O'Neill Jr. He had previously been showing progressive form over fences and could outrun his Scottish Grand National odds at Ayr for the father/sons combo. Stamina appeared a real trait for him in his Windsor win over 2m6f on soft ground in January as he was outpaced at one stage before running on strongly to win going away. He followed that up with a very creditable effort in the Swinley Handicap Chase at Ascot taking on season chasers and he could have plenty more to give if he's none the worse for his Cheltenham spill so odds of 15.00 at Betway Sports make him a viable option.

• 15.00 @ Betway
• 17.00 @ William Hill
• 21.00 @ BoyleSports

3️⃣ Sail Away / Dan Skelton

Dan Skelton will be crossing his fingers as the final confirmations start to creep in for this race as he looks to get Sail Away into the field. The Warwickshire-based handler looked a shoe-in to become champion trainer in recent months but defending champion Willie Mullins excelled to such a degree at Aintree last week that Skelton's championship lead of more than £1.4m in prizemoney was whittled down to just £150k. He's going to have to find some big-race wins over the concluding month of the season and perhaps Sail Away becoming a Scottish Grand National winner at a price of 51.00 at BoyleSports would be a big start. He won the CPMS Novices' Champion Handicap Chase at this meeting over 3m in 2023 on his only previous start at Ayr. His form dipped in open company but from a starting handicap mark of 145 in that sphere he has dropped to 132 now and his last two runs at Kempton and Warwick much more promising. The Skelton team are in desperate need of a lift so anything that feature in the horse race betting for them at Ayr during the Scottish National meeting is worth noting. Sail Away's price varies greatly with different firms and punters should consider our bookmaker reviews when assessing the best place to bet on major races.

• 41.00 @ Betway
• 36.00 @ LeoVegas
• 51.00 @ BoyleSports

📊 Scottish Grand National Winners