Scottish Grand National Runner By Runner Betting Guide

Scottish Grand National runner by runner betting guide

Willie Mullins is responsible for 6 of the 23 runners, but will the master of Closutton win back-to-back renewals of the Scottish Grand National?

Get the best odds for the Cammidge Trophy Stakes from the best horse racing betting sites.

9 Chosen Witness

Age: 8
Weight: 11st 1lb
Form: 1-073U
Rating: 137
Jockey: Sean O’Keeffe
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 9/2

Chosen Withness won on this card last year when taking a 3m novice handicap hurdle off 130. Today, he makes his handicap debut over fences off a 7 lb higher mark, and even though he may prove to be up to this kind of mark in time, he has been well-found in the betting and looks sort enough in a race of this nature.

His three runs over fences have been less than convincing, and even though you will see a much better showing here on handicap debut, he looks one to air on the side of caution, given he has not shown much over fences to date.

Star rating:

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4 Olympic Man

Age: 8
Weight: 11st 6lb
Form: 2-P461
Rating: 142
Jockey: Patrick Mullins
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 15/2

Olympic Man is another of Willie Mullins’s runners who is making his handicap debut, but Olympic Man is one that could be well ahead of his mark. But his major issue is his jumping. There is no doubt that Olympic Man has a massive engine, but his jumping has become a serious achilles heel.

Even given that he put in another less than convincing round of jumping at Naas, he managed to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat when he ran down Foxy Girl after she headed him after the last. If only we could guarantee that Olympic Man could make it around with minimal errors, he would be of major interest here. He has the talent to be a 150+ horse, and if he is there with a chance coming to the last fence, it will take a good one to stop him over this trip and would top off what has been a historic week for Patrick Mullins.

Star rating:

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12 Rock My Way

Age: 7
Weight: 10st 11lb
Form: -31422
Rating: 133
Jockey: Brendan Powell
Trainer: Joe Tizzard
Odds: 10/1

Rock My Way finished 2nd to Haiti Couleurs in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and has only been put up 1 lb for that. That was a career-best performance and with the promise of more to come now tackling 4m, Rock My Way is far from out of this here. But, the ‘Cheltenham effect’ hangs over his head. He should be bang there at the business end if he is over those excursions.

Star rating:

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5 Macdermott

Age: 7
Weight: 11st 6lb
Form: 1-P0UP
Rating: 142
Jockey: Danny Mullins
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 10/1

Last season’s Scottish Grand National hero is back to try to retain his crown, which he fought hard to win when holding off Surrey Quest in a head-bobbing finish. This year, he runs off a 5 lb higher mark, but he is not in the same form as he was when coming into last season’s renewal. He has completed only one of his four starts this season and was beaten 91 lengths when he did get around at Leopardstown over Christmas. This mark looks tough, and he will need to be somewhere back to his best to defy it.

Star rating:

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7 Captain Cody

Age: 7
Weight: 11st 4lb
Form: -0443U
Rating: 140
Jockey: Harry Cobden
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 10/1

Captain Cody, a Grade 2 winning novice hurdler last season, has had a lukewarm start to life over fences. Still, he showed at Navan that he might be ready to collect a big prize, and some thought that it would have been the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He unseated Danny Mullins at the 13th, but he was still going well, as you would have expected that far out. But given that we have yet to see anywhere near his best over fences, a mark of 140 is well within his reach. Under the guidance of Harry Cobden, Captain Cody is of massive interest here.

Star rating:

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8 Surrey Quest

Age: 8
Weight: 11st 3lb
Form: 02-2U3
Rating: 139
Jockey: Kevin Brogan
Trainer: Toby Lawes
Odds: 11/1

Having been narrowly denied by Macdermott in last season’s running, Surrey Quest will look to go one better, but that will be easier said than done off a 6 lb higher mark. He has been in good form this season, filling the places in two of his three starts, which shows he is still at the top of his game. More importantly, he will get his favoured good ground as he looks to exercise last season’s demons. A win is unlikely to happen, but he has a serious place chance.

Star rating:

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2 Henry’s Friend

Age: 8
Weight: 11st 8lb
Form: P-4518
Rating: 144
Jockey: Ben Jones
Trainer: Ben Pauling
Odds: 12/1

Henry’s Friend has won four of his eight starts over fences and has shown a level of form that would give him a big chance here. He was a 7-length 5th in the Coral Gold Cup and backed that up by winning with authority from the front back at Newbury in December.

You can forgive him for his run at the Cheltenham Festival, as he was one of many inconvenienced by the standing start. Henry’s Friend will be there at the business end if he is none worse for his run at Cheltenham.
Star rating:

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17 The Kniphand

Age: 7
Weight: 10st 5lb
Form: -12132
Rating: 127
Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies
Odds: 16/1

This may be one step too far for The Kniphad after two big runs in the past two months. He has always looked like he would relish an extreme distance, but whether he has the class of some of his rivals to get the job done here is the question. He can run well for a long way for a trainer who knows what it takes to win this race, but he should be finding a few of his rivals who are too good for him.

Star rating:

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10 Spanish Harlem

Age: 7
Weight: 11st 0lb
Form: 6-P074
Rating: 136
Jockey: Brian Hayes
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 16/1

A 6th place finish in last season’s renewal off a 5 lb higher mark would have you thinking that Spanish Harlem should be going close this time around, but he has been in terrible form all season. None of his three runs this season would give you confidence in backing Spanish Harlem. He needs a massive turnaround in form to improve last season’s finishing position.

Star rating:

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11 Hasthing

Age: 8
Weight: 10st 11lb
Form: -4114F
Rating: 136
Jockey: Jonjo O’Neill Jr
Trainer: Jonjo & A J O’Neill
Odds: 16/1

Hasthing won at Windsor in January, a race he did well to win given the circumstances, but the handicapper hit him hard after raising him 8 lbs. Jumping cost him when sent off favourite at Ascot on his next run, and his jumping issues showed it’s head once again in the National Hunt Chase when tipping up at the last, but he was out of contention. He needs to cut out the errors to play a major role in the finish, but if he does, he is a lively outsider.

Star rating:

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16 Walking On Air

Age: 8
Weight: 10st 6lb
Form: -P63F0
Rating: 128
Jockey: Richie McLernon
Trainer: Faye Bramley
Odds: 16/1

Walking On Air is a horse that promised so much as a novice hurdler when trained by Nicky Henderson, but things haven’t gone according to plan in recent years. A change of yards to Gary Brown at the start of the season did little to change his fortunes, and now Walking On Air makes his stable debut for Faye Bramley. He is well handicapped on old hurdle form but needs a massive revival to gain his first win in over two years.

Star rating:

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22 Megna Sam

Age: 11
Weight: 10st 2lb
Form: P-PP31
Rating: 124
Jockey: Jonathan Burke
Trainer: Alastair Ralph
Odds: 18/1

A former 5th place finisher in the 2023 Scottish Grand National, Megna Sam has suddenly bounced back to life. It was nearly two years since he showed any form but he showed on his last run that there is plenty of life left in him with an 9 lengths win at Musselburgh (Surrey Quest 3rd) off a much-reduced mark. He has been put back up 8 lb for that win, but he is still 4 lb lower than when 5th in the 2023 running of this race. He doesn’t have much room for error off this mark at his age, but he is not without an each-way chance.

Star rating:

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6 Famous Bridge

Age: 9
Weight: 11st 5lb
Form: 4-2316
Rating: 141
Jockey: Sean Quinlan
Trainer: Nicky Richards
Odds: 22/1

Famous Bridge was another who couldn’t live with the well-handicapped Myretown at the Cheltenham Festival. Before that, he was a good winner of the Grand National Trial at Haydock, winning by a going away 3 lengths over Apple Away. He is only 3 lb higher for that win here and is more than capable of going well off this mark. Dangerous to dismiss.

Star rating:

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23 Brandt

Age: 7
Weight: 10st 2lb
Form: 7U5221
Rating: 124
Jockey: Sean Bowen
Trainer: Cian Collins
Odds: 22/1

Brandt was a good winner of the Dublin National, and his trainer, Cian Collins, is no stranger to having winners on the big days. Brandt has been progressing steadily this season, but an extra 6 lb to his Irish handicap mark leaves him vulnerable here. It’s hard to make a winning case for him here, but he won’t be lacking in the saddle as Sean Bowen takes the ride.

Star rating:

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13 Sail Away

Age: 9
Weight: 10st 10lb
Form: PF7632
Rating: 132
Jockey: Harry Skelton
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Odds: 22/1

Sail Away has been showing good form in his last two runs when chasing home The Doyen Chief on both occasions. He is now on a mark of 132, and given that he has no claimer on his back, Sail Away will find life much tougher here.

Star rating:

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14 Wiseguy

Age: 9
Weight: 10st 7lb
Form: 6P-167
Rating: 129
Jockey: Nico de Boinville
Trainer: Nicky Henderson
Odds: 22/1

Nicky Henderson is not renowned for training staying chasers, and Wiseguy, who dons the same colours as the enigma that was Mite Bite, has it all to do here. He stayed on well in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival, but he doesn’t strike of a horse who is up to taking a race of this quality.

Star rating:

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15 Flash De Touzaine

Age: 10
Weight: 10st 7lb
Form: 245961
Rating: 129
Jockey: Sean Flanagan
Trainer: Liz Doyle
Odds: 25/1

Confidence will be sky-high for Flash De Touzaine after an easy win in veterans company at Limerick last month, but this will demand so much more. That win came off 122, and now he must run off a UK mark of 129, which is 1 lb lower than when 3rd to Kitty’s Light in the 2023 running of this. Even so, he will find it tough going this time around.

Star rating:

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3 Our Power

Age: 10
Weight: 11st 7lb
Form: 7F-223
Rating: 142
Jockey: Dylan Johnston (3)
Trainer: Sam Thomas
Odds: 28/1

Now in the latter stages of his career, Our Power should be starting to show signs of slowing down, but this 10-year-old has shown that he is still at the top of his game with three creditable runs this season.

No one could live with Katate Dori at Kempton last time, but Our Power did manage to hold onto 3rd place in the end. Before that he followed home the well handicapped Chantry House and King Turgeon at Cheltenham. If he replicated that form, he would have a chance of grabbing a place today.

Star rating:

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21 Klarc Kent

Age: 9
Weight: 10st 2lb
Form: P0P908
Rating: 124
Jockey: Jonathan Burke
Trainer: Willie Mullins
Odds: 28/1

Klarc Kent was 4th last season, but this year, he comes in off an 8 lb lower mark, but that is for a good reason. He has been showing little to no form this season, but it wouldn’t be unlike a Willie Mullins-trained horse to bounce back to form out of the blue. He’s at a price where it may be worth taking an each-way chance on him, but he does need a big upturn in form to better last season’s finishing position.

Star rating:

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20 Snipe

Age: 8
Weight: 10st 4lb
Form: -22383
Rating: 126
Jockey: Harry Atkins (7)
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Odds: 40/1

Snipe has shown bits and pieces of form that would see him run well for a long way, but he does look to lack the quality to see him play a major role in the finish.

Star rating:

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18 Grozni

Age: 9
Weight: 10st 5lb
Form: 5-P156
Rating: 127
Jockey: Callum Pritchard (5)
Trainer: James Owen
Odds: 50/1

James Owen has been known to turn recruits from other yards inside out when arriving at his yard, but this would be one of his biggest achievements to get Grozni to win a Scottish National. On all known form, that is highly unlikely.

Star rating:

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19 Dom Of Mary

Age: 9
Weight: 10st 4lb
Form: 38-P28
Rating: 126
Jockey: Caolin Quinn
Trainer: David Bridgewater
Odds: 50/1

Dom Of Mary comes here after a more than creditable run in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival and would have finished closer if it had not been for interference late on. It’s unlikely that he will trouble the principles, but he will give you a run for your money for a long way.

Star rating:

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1 Mr Incredible

Age: 9
Weight: 12st 0lb
Form: UP-PRP
Rating: 150
Jockey: Alice Stevens (3)
Trainer: Sandy Thomas
Odds: 80/1

My Incredibles form resembles a game of Countdown with more letters than numbers in the past year, but his trainers have found it hard to solve his conundrum. You will be lucky to see him jump off at the start, let alone finish the race. Avoid him at all costs.

Star rating:

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Scottish Grand National verdict

There are two runners that interest me the most, and unsurprisingly, both are from the Willie Mullins stable, where CAPTAIN CODY narrowly gets the vote ahead of Olympic Man. He has to leave a novice mistake that cost him any chance at Cheltenham, but given that he has yet to unlock his full potential over fences, he looks to have a strong chance here under the top-class Harry Cobden.

Famous Bridge, Our Power, and Henry’s Friend are others with each way chances.

About the author

Andrew Halligan

My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.

You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).

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