# Scottish Grand National 2027: Racetimes, TV Coverage & Raceday Guide _The Scottish Grand National at Ayr — four miles and 27 fences of the best handicap chasing outside Aintree. Race times, ITV coverage, course notes and how to follow the runners._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/scottish-grand-national/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/scottish-grand-national/) · last updated 2026-08-23* # Scottish Grand National 2027 The **Scottish Grand National** at Ayr is the biggest handicap chase in Scotland and one of the most prestigious marathons in the British National Hunt calendar. Four miles and 27 fences round Ayr's flat, left-handed course — the longest chase in British racing outside Aintree's Grand National itself. Run on the Saturday of Ayr's two-day Scottish Grand National Festival each April, it's the headline act of Scotland's racing year and a regular stepping stone between the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals. For the **2027 edition**, the scheduled raceday is **TBA**. Declared runners, going update and off-time are published on the morning of the race — this page updates automatically as each detail is confirmed. ## At a glance - **Course**: Ayr (left-handed, flat, 1m 4f round) - **Distance**: 4 miles 110 yards - **Obstacles**: 27 fences - **Grade**: Grade 3 handicap chase (Premier Handicap) - **Prize fund**: ~£200,000 total - **Broadcast**: ITV1 (free-to-air UK) - **First run at Ayr**: 1966 (the race dates to 1867 at Bogside) Ayr is typically on the faster side of good in April — a very different test from the soft-ground Welsh National in December. Read on for the full 2027 race details, the history of the race, how to watch, and what raceday at Ayr looks like. ## 2027 race details # 2027 race details The 2027 Scottish Grand National is scheduled for **TBA** at Ayr. | Detail | Value | |---|---| | **Race date** | TBA | | **Off time** | TBA | | **Going** | TBA | | **Field size** | TBA | | **Distance** | 4 miles 110 yards | | **Obstacles** | 27 fences | | **Prize fund** | ~£200,000 | ### Trials and build-up The road to the Scottish National runs through three key spring trials: - **Eider Chase** (Newcastle, February) — Grade 3 over 4 miles 1 furlong. The traditional Scottish National prep for genuine stayers. - **Rowland Meyrick Chase** (Wetherby, 26 December) — 3-mile handicap chase; many Welsh-then-Scottish doubles have started here. - **Midlands Grand National** (Uttoxeter, mid-March) — 4m 2f handicap; a dress rehearsal for Ayr's distance. Five-day entries for the Scottish National close around 12 April. Final declarations (48-hour) are published two days before the race. This page reflects the confirmed declared runners once they're posted — check back on race morning for the final field. ### Ante-post markets The race regularly attracts 28-30 declared runners — the maximum permitted. Big-field handicaps reward patient punters: backing course-and-distance form is often profitable, and Ayr's flat track suits front-runners who can dictate a steady pace from the off. Each-way punters get four places as standard with most major books. ## History and notable winners # History and notable winners The Scottish Grand National was first run in **1867 at Bogside Racecourse** in Ayrshire, as a mirror to England's Grand National at Aintree. When Bogside closed in 1965 the race transferred to Ayr the following year — and has run there every April since (bar occasional weather cancellations). ### The legends **Red Rum** won the Scottish Grand National in **1974** — the year he also landed his second Aintree Grand National. Red Rum remains the only horse to have won the Grand National three times (1973, 1974, 1977) and the Ayr-Aintree double he pulled off in 1974 is the single greatest season any staying chaser has ever had. **Moorcroft Boy** (1996), trained by David Nicholson, was another Aintree-to-Ayr crossover winner, proving Ayr's place as the spring chase that real National horses use to season themselves. **Merigo** won the race twice (2010 and 2012), trained by Andrew Parker in the Scottish Borders — a local hero and the modern era's most popular multiple winner. **Win My Wings** (2022) — trained by Christian Williams — became only the fourth mare to win the race, and her front-running style became a template for how the Ayr track can be ridden at the trip. **Kitty's Light** (2023), also for Christian Williams, completed an unusual Welsh National-Scottish National-Bet365 Gold Cup-Eider treble across the winter, earning the rare title of "most-decorated staying handicap-chaser of the season". ### What wins the Scottish National The Ayr track, flat and fair at 4 miles, rewards: - **Stamina in spades** — 4 miles is a genuine test, and the final half-mile uphill finish catches out horses who aren't genuine stayers - **Jumping fluency** — 27 fences is the most in any British chase, so jumping economy matters enormously - **Good ground tolerance** — Ayr in April is typically good to soft, rarely heavier. Ground specialists who need bottomless conditions often under-perform here - **A handicap mark of 140-155** — the weight-for-age curve favours this range; horses rated higher can struggle to concede weight over 4 miles ### Recent roll of honour *This section updates after each year's running — see [/racing-news/](/racing-news/) for the most recent race result article.* ## TV coverage and how to watch # TV coverage and how to watch The 2027 Scottish Grand National is live on **ITV1** (free-to-air in the UK). ### UK terrestrial — ITV1 / ITVX ITV Racing's Scottish National Day coverage typically runs **from approximately 1:00pm** on the Saturday of Ayr's Scottish Grand National Festival, carrying four races from Ayr plus cross-course action from Bangor, Newbury or Nottingham. The Scottish National itself is usually off around 3:30pm–3:45pm; the exact off-time for 2027 is **TBA** once confirmed. ITVX carries the coverage live and on demand after the event, free to UK viewers. ### Racing TV **Racing TV** carries the full Ayr card (seven to eight races across the afternoon) with extended pre- and post-race analysis. If you want pre-race parade-ring detail, the returning-to-unsaddle walk-offs, and the post-race interviews, Racing TV is the richer feed. Subscription or day-pass required. ### Sky Sports Racing Sky Sports Racing does **not** hold rights to Ayr's Scottish National card — Ayr is on Racing TV and ITV on this weekend. Sky Sports Racing will show the other Saturday fixtures on the card (typically Nottingham or Bangor). ### International - **Ireland**: Racing TV (via UPC / Sky Ireland) or ITV if local rights apply. - **US**: Racing TV's American feed and some OTB providers. - **Australia**: Sky Thoroughbred Central carries selected UK spring festivals; confirm with your provider. ### Replays ITVX (free) and Racing TV (subscriber archive) keep the race available on-demand. The Racing Post and ITV Racing's own YouTube channels usually post the race video within hours of the result. ### Off-time reminders Scottish National Day has firm TV-schedule discipline because of the packed afternoon and the Grand National meeting a week earlier overlapping. Expect the advertised **TBA** to move by no more than 1–2 minutes unless a stewards' delay or veterinary inspection intervenes. ## Raceday at Ayr # Raceday at Ayr ### Getting there Ayr Racecourse is at **2 Whitletts Road, Ayr, KA8 0JE** — on the south-west coast of Scotland, about an hour south of Glasgow. The nearest station is **Ayr** (ScotRail, 15 minutes' walk from the enclosure or short taxi), with direct services from Glasgow Central and the wider Strathclyde network. Drivers: M77 south from Glasgow, A77 into Ayr, clear signage to the course. Free on-course parking plus paid reserved options closer to the entrance. Allow extra time on Scottish National Day — Ayr can be busy. ### The enclosures Three tickets for the Scottish Grand National Festival: - **Princess Royal Grandstand** — best viewing, covered seating, access to parade ring and winner's enclosure. Dress code applies. - **Eglinton Stand** — main public enclosure with excellent rail views and paddock access. - **Western House Enclosure** — includes hospitality packages in the 18th-century house adjacent to the course. Tickets for Scottish National Day sell out quickly — book by March through ayr-racecourse.co.uk. ### On the day - **Gates open** around 10:30am. - **First race** is usually 1:15–1:30. - **The Scottish National** is race 5 on the card, typically off around **TBA**. - Parade ring is very busy 30 minutes before each race — the Scottish National's 28-runner field fills the ring. - **Post-race ceremony**: the winner's enclosure presentation is a highlight, with the trophy traditionally awarded by a senior Scottish racing figure. ### Dress code Princess Royal Grandstand: smart casual (collared shirt for men, no ripped jeans or sportswear). Eglinton and Western House: no strict dress code, though Scottish National Day attracts a well-dressed crowd — **layered, warm clothing is essential**. Ayr in April can swing from mild sunshine to sideways sleet within an hour — pack for everything. ### Food and drink Multiple food outlets on-course including Scottish seafood, hot-pies, artisan street food, and the famous Ayr Racecourse haggis. Bars across all enclosures. Hospitality packages at Western House are worth the upgrade for the food alone. ### Betting Tote facilities and on-course bookmakers across all enclosures. ATM cash machines on-site but expect queues — bring cash if you plan to bet at the rails. Our [bookmaker comparison guide](/bookmakers/) covers online alternatives if you'd rather place from the stand via your phone. ## Sources & verification Race details, dates, prize money and trends in this piece were cross-checked against: - [Wikipedia — Scottish Grand National](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Grand_National) - [Ayr Racecourse — official site](https://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk/) - [Racing Post — Scottish Grand National](https://www.racingpost.com/) [Source: cross-referenced as of the lastUpdated date in this article's meta.yaml.]