Scottish Grand National 2026: Race analysis, betting preview and how to watch on TV

Ayr racecourse will take centre stage on Saturday, as the 2026 Scottish Grand National takes place just one week after the Aintree Festival. 

The dust has hardly settled from last weekend’s Grand National Festival at Aintree, as Scotland prepares to showcase their biggest Handicap Steeplechase. 

Runners and riders will negotiate 27 scheduled fences during their four-mile trip around western Scotland, each looking to take home a share of prize money worth nearly £200,000. 

This year’s Scottish Grand National sees joint trainers Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore saddle the favourite, as Kelso winner King Of Answers trades at 7/1. 

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Narrow win

The seven-year old Gelding has won two of his five races so far this season, alternating wins and defeats. 

He opened the campaign with a five-length fifth-placed finish at Hexham, before winning narrowly at Kelso. 

King Of Answers then ran a strange race at Windsor, in which he jumped poorly and was detached before running on to finish fourth. He won his second race of the season – again at Kelso. 

His most recent run saw him finish second to Holloway Queen at the Cheltenham Festival, when upped in trip to three miles and six furlongs for the first time. 

Kim Roque and Quebecois come next in the betting, with both horses trading at 10/1 in the Scottish Grand National betting market. 

The former has run respectably in all four of his runs for trainer Joseph Patrick O’Brien, having transferred from France in October. 

He finished second at Cheltenham on his stable debut, before placing fourth when back at the Gloucestershire course in December. 

His two subsequent efforts came in big fields at Leopardstown and the Cheltenham Festival, where he finished fifth and fourth, respectively. 

Good form

The latter had been in good form for trainer Paul Nicholls last season, notably when placing in two Graded Handicap Hurdle races, before winning a Novice Handicap on this card last season. 

Quebecois is yet to win over fences – but has placed second twice and finished third on his latest run, where he was beaten narrowly by Johnnywho at the Cheltenham Festival. 

Ask Brewster, Havalia, Montregard and Isaac Des Obeaux are all given an equal chance in the betting for the Scottish Grand National, priced at 14/1.

Ask Brewster had the beating of Willie Mullins’ sole challenger in the Scottish Grand National Road To Home, when the pair met at last month’s Cheltenham Festival. 

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The winner was making his return off the back of a three-month absence, following defeat at Sandown, which remains his only loss from his last five runs. 

Road To Home, meanwhile, appeared to have benefited from the step up in trip last time out, having previously hinted at ability at Doncaster and Newbury. 

Both horses finished ahead of Kim Roque in that Cheltenham contest last month. 

Sussex National winner

Havalia is looking to make it three consecutive victories following wins at Newbury and in the Sussex National at Plumpton. 

They were both very nice performances off the back of a disappointing effort on his second run of the season. 

That was an uncharacteristic showing, however, as he had previously finished inside the top nine of his 10 runs prior. 

Montregard took his form to a new level when winning at Ascot last month, though he had previously finished second to The Jukebox Kid and won his seasonal debut. 

Isaac Des Obeaux will aid Quebecois in giving Nicholls a strong hand in the Scottish Grand National, having placed in all four of his races this season – winning two of them, including last month’s Midlands Grand National. 

Chasingouttheblues is another runner looking to make it three consecutive wins and he is given an equal chance to Hyland, J’Arrive L’Est, Jordans and Mr Vango. 

Hyland has been out of form since winter 2024, whilst J’Arrive L’Est will look to bounce back from being pulled up behind Isaac Des Obeaux last month. 

Cheltenham form

He had previously finished second behind the top-two finishers in Cheltenham Festival’s Cross Country race, in two Cross Country races at the same course prior to the Festival. 

They make up his three runs for Emmet Mullins, since he transferred yards from France in November. 

Jordans and Mr Vango will arrive here off the back of contrasting runs in the Grand National, should they make the journey north of the border. 

The former shot clear of the field before succumbing to I Am Maximus in the closing stages, whilst Mr Vango fell. 

All of the aforementioned runners are priced at 16/1 to win the 2026 Scottish Grand National. 

The race is due off at 15:35pm on Saturday, April 18, with live coverage shown on ITV and Racing TV.

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