2026 race details

The 2026 Scottish Grand National is scheduled for Saturday 18 April 2026 at Ayr.

Detail	Value
Race date	Saturday 18 April 2026
Off time	TBA
Going	TBA
Field size
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

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/ for the most recent race result article.

TV coverage and how to watch

The 2026 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 2026 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

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 covers online alternatives if you'd rather place from the stand via your phone.