Tag Archive for: Scottish National

Mullins looking to hit title rivals for six in Scottish National

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With the British trainers’ title on the line, Willie Mullins sends a six-strong squad to contest the Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Saturday.

Mullins is not only seeking his first win in the £200,000 feature, he has never had a single winner at the track. But that could all change this weekend, as he saddles 18 runners across the afternoon.

His National team consists of Macdermott, Mr Incredible, Spanish Harlem, Ontheropes, Klarc Kent and We’llhavewan and assistant trainer Patrick Mullins ran the rule over the sextet in a Zoom call organised by the racecourse.

“Macdermott is an improving horse, he was always going to be a big chaser, he’s a strong type and was always going to improve for a fence and over a trip,” he said.

“He was good the last time out at Fairyhouse and he’s the kind of horse who improves with racing, we struggle to get him fit at home, to be honest, he needs racing to get the weight off him.

“He’s running off a much higher mark (12lb) and that’s going to be a big ask in a far more competitive race.

Patrick Mullins rides Mr Incredible
Patrick Mullins rides Mr Incredible (Adam Davy/PA)

“I ride Mr Incredible, he didn’t get very far at Aintree, he’s fresh and well, so he’ll take his chance.

“Off a mark of 153, with 11st 9lb, it’s going to be difficult but if he could run into a place, that would be fantastic. We’re hoping he jumps off, that’s the first thing!

“Paul (Townend) was keen to ride Spanish Harlem and he’s a horse we’ve always thought an awful lot of. He has disappointed us a little because his work at home has been far superior to his form on the track.

“It’s his first handicap, so he’ll have to jump pretty sharp, but we’d like to think he’s better than a mark of 140. Paul just thought he had more room for improvement than Macdermott.

“Sean O’Keeffe rides Klarc Kent, very much an old-fashioned chaser, a horse who really should come into his own over four miles. He’s a novice off a low weight but he needs to improve.

“Brian Hayes rides Ontheropes. He got a leg after he won the Munster National and has been disappointing since but he was coming back to form last time and could be just coming to form at the right time.

“We’llhavewan was second in the Grand National Trial at Punchestown and ran well in the Irish National when perhaps he didn’t get home, but I think he just made some crucial jumping errors which just knocked him back.

“We’ve put the cheekpieces back on and that should help him jump sharper. He’s a little out of the handicap but Kieran Callaghan is our claiming rider, a local guy and he’s very good. I could see him running into the money.”

Dan Skelton is battling with Mullins for the title and is represented by Ballygrifincottage.

“He’s a horse that just recently has done really well. He had a bad autumn and winter but his form as a novice hurdler and early novice chaser looked very good,” said Skelton.

“For whatever reason, we lost him completely and everything just went to pot but he’s back in great form now and it was a good run at Ascot on his comeback and an even better run at Sandown when second the last day.

“I don’t think four miles will be a problem, but you never actually know until you try it – there is a slight unknown with that, but I go into it with the expectation that he’ll stay the trip.”

Trying to cling on to his title is Paul Nicholls, who runs top-weight Stay Away Fay and Broken Halo.

Paul Nicholls with top weight Stay Away Fay
Paul Nicholls with top weight Stay Away Fay (Adam Davy/PA)

Nicholls told Betfair of the former: “He’s a class horse but life isn’t going to be easy for him running off top weight of 12st off a mark of 158.

“It just didn’t happen for him in the Turners at Cheltenham, where he was never happy, didn’t travel in the ground and his jumping let him down.

“We’ve removed the cheekpieces he wore there, as they didn’t seem to work, and I’ve felt for some time he would be suited by marathon trips. The track at Ayr should be much more suitable for him.

“Broken Halo was in with a shout when falling two out in the London National at Sandown in December and won at Taunton last month. He looks an interesting outsider.”

Brian Ellison’s Anglers Crag arrives chasing a five-timer and proved his stamina when winning the Eider Chase.

“This has been the plan since the Eider and he’s in good form. He’s been blood tested and scoped, everything looks clean and he looks a million dollars, so we just want a bit of luck in running now,” said Ellison.

“A bit of soft ground would help keep the job right for him. He’s gone up again in the weights, but you deserve to when you win, don’t you? It’s when you finish second and you go up that I don’t like!

“Willie Mullins obviously runs six, he’s struggling for winners!”

The form choice is arguably Jamie Snowden’s Git Maker, second to subsequent Grade One winner Inothewayurthinkin at Cheltenham.

“He ran a blinder to finish second at Cheltenham, pulling a long way clear of the third horse, and the winner has obviously come out and won a Grade One at Aintree, so the form has certainly been franked,” said Snowden.

Git Maker caught a tartar at Cheltenham
Git Maker caught a tartar at Cheltenham (Adam Davy/PA)

“We’re up 1lb for that and we go there in good form. Obviously, it’s a highly competitive race, as you’d expect, but we couldn’t be happier with our chap and he gets in off 10st 3lb.

“I think he’ll stay well. They’ve had a bit of rain there and you would certainly hope the ground would be on the softer side, as he would definitely want a bit of cut in the ground.

“With a little bit of luck in running, hopefully he’ll have a chance.”

Emma Lavelle’s My Silver Lining has been consistent in long-distance chases all season, winning the Classic Chase at Warwick.

“She seems in great order. I was sort of looking for reasons not to go – was she flat, or was the ground not soft enough, or whatever, and none of the reasons came,” said Lavelle.

“I’m really happy with her, of course it’s a competitive race and with the championship the way it is, it’s probably more competitive than some years, but she’s really well, she’s as honest as they come, she’ll keep galloping and jumping and we’re just hopeful that she’ll put up another personal best.”



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Police and Ayr officials praised for dealing with protest in ‘very efficient manner’

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Animal rights protesters attempted to disrupt the Coral Scottish Grand National on Saturday.

Just seven days on from the scenes at Aintree which saw the Grand National delayed by around 15 minutes, a handful of people broke on to the track at Ayr before the scheduled 3.35pm start time of the big race.

However, as soon as they were on the track, the protesters – some pictured sporting pink Animal Rising T-shirts – were tackled by security staff and police and the matter was soon brought under control.

Protesters being detained by police
Protesters being detained by police (Jane Barlow/PA)

There was an increased security presence due to last week’s protest where 118 arrests were made by Merseyside Police.

Ayr’s managing director David Brown praised the swift action of the police and security teams on course.

He said: “The police and security dealt with it like the consummate professionals that they are.

“The race went off to time, there was no notable delay and the professionalism of the team up here in Scotland was a credit to them, they dealt with it in a very efficient manner.

“What a great race it was and a great story, for Christian Williams to win it for the second year in a row with Kitty’s Light, after he finished second last year. I think for me this is Scotland’s showpiece race and it all ran to time.”

A tweet from Police Scotland read: “We are responding to a protest which is ongoing at Ayr Racecourse this afternoon. A significant operation is under way to safely remove those involved. A number of arrests have been made and an increased police presence remains at the scene.”



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Kitty’s Light gives Christian Williams an emotional victory in the Scottish National

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Wales beat Scotland in the Coral Scottish Grand National with last year’s runner-up Kitty’s Light getting the better of Cooper’s Cross in a thrilling encounter.

Beaten by stablemate Win My Wings in the Ayr showpiece 12 months ago, the Christian Williams-trained chaser is still only seven yet has been running in these big handicaps for the past three years.

Raised 8lb for his win in the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February, Kitty’s Light was ridden by Jack Tudor, who recently took the job as stable jockey for David Pipe.

It was with Williams with whom he started his career, though, and in the aftermath it was clear just what the result meant to the pair of them.

Dropped out, Kitty’s Light’s jumping was much better on this occasion, at least until he got to the final fence at which he went right through the top.

But that did not stop his momentum too much, and as Stuart Coltherd’s Cooper’s Cross tried with all his might to keep the prize at home, Kitty’s Light (4-1 joint-favourite) stayed on strongly to score by three lengths. Flash De Touzaine was third with Threeunderthrufive fourth.

Williams has had his world turned upside down recently with the news his five-year-old daughter Betsy has been diagnosed with leukaemia, and was emotional in the aftermath.

He said: “It’s brilliant. He’s a very important horse. We’ve a big battle on at home with my daughter, but this is great and will cheer everyone up.

“I’m lucky to have the staff I’ve got, and the family. It’s a great tonic to the children watching at home and I’m looking forward to getting back tonight and seeing them all.”

Tudor told ITV Racing: “He’s a legend. He’s small and he’s not a brilliant jumper and he’s been trained to the absolute minute.

“This is brilliant for Christian, his little daughter is really unwell so it’s a massive lift for him more than anyone, the whole family, Charlotte (Williams’ wife), it means a lot this one so well done to everyone at the yard. People won’t know what this will mean to Christian.

“If Betsy can be as tough as Kitty’s Light she’ll be fine.”

Expanding on the performance of his winner, Williams told Racing TV: “He bumped into a horse last year that looked unstoppable, nothing could have beaten her (Win My Wings) that day.

“With Kitty we had a plan to go Eider Chase and then this. He was a bit slow to come to hand earlier in the season, but he did a piece of work 10 days ago that Jack said we hadn’t seen the likes of for 12 months.

“We came here fairly confident, but we knew we’d need luck in running because he’s only small.

Jack Tudor and Christian Williams
Jack Tudor and Christian Williams (Jane Barlow/PA)

“It just goes to show the luck you need, he’s Flat-bred yet he’s running in four-mile chases. Fences probably get in his way. They aren’t too big here and he just seems to come to himself at this time of year.

“The only thing about last year is Jack wasn’t on the winner so I didn’t quite get the same kick out of it. To win it on Kitty’s this year is great.

“We won’t write Sandown (bet365 Gold Cup) off just yet because he can have a nice long break after that.”

Prior to the start, protesters from Animal Rising attempted to disrupt proceedings, but they were quickly dealt with by police and officials and there was no repeat of the delay at Aintree, with the race going off just a couple of minutes late.



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Dusart heads the weights for Scottish National

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Nicky Henderson’s Dusart will head a field of 23 in Saturday’s Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

A winner at the meeting last season when he beat the smart Sounds Russian, he has had an interrupted campaign this year, only running twice.

He will attempt to carry 12st to victory, 7lb more than the nearest in the weights – Paul Nicholls’ Threeunderthrufive who finished a creditable eighth behind subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler in the Ultima at Cheltenham.

There has been plenty of money through the week for Jonjo O’Neill’s Monbeg Genius as he finished third in the UItima, a little over two lengths behind the impressive winner.

Mighty Thunder won the race in 2021
Mighty Thunder won the race in 2021 (Jeff Holmes/PA)

Corach Rambler’s trainer Lucinda Russell is bidding for a Grand National double with Your Own Story and Mighty Thunder, who won the race in 2021.

Sandy Thomson’s Empire Steel and Flower Of Scotland, Nick Alexander’s Elvis Mail, Stuart Coltherd’s Cooper’s Cross and Iain Jardine’s Half Shot are others trying to keep the prize in Scotland.

Last year’s contest was won by the Christian Williams-trained mare Win My Wings, now retired, but behind her in second was stablemate Kitty’s Light and he is back in a bid to go one better and add to the Eider Chase he won in February.

Gavin Cromwell, who went so close to winning the Aintree National with Vanillier, sends over Malina Girl with Liz Doyle’s Flash De Touzaine and John Ryan’s Waitnsee other Irish contenders.

“Although we don’t have a full field of 30 for this year’s Coral Scottish Grand National, we do have a fiercely competitive renewal that will once again ensure the race features prominently in the highest turnover list come year end,” said Coral’s David Stevens.

“Kitty’s Light remains favourite to go one place better than 12 months ago, but only just, with Monbeg Genius the best-backed horse this week.”



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