Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Scottish Grand National

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Inaugurated
  
1867

Website
  
Ayr

Surface
  
Turf

Race type
  
Chase

Distance
  
4m ½f (6,538 metres)

Sponsor
  
Scottish Grand National lbnewsngs3euwest1amazonawscomwpcontentupl

Location
  
Ayr Racecourse Ayrshire, Scotland

1974 scottish grand national handicap chase


The Scottish Grand National is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Ayr, Scotland, over a distance of approximately 4 miles and 110 yards (6,538 metres) and 27 fences. It is a handicap race, and takes place each year in April. It is Scotland's equivalent of the Grand National, and is held during Ayr's two-day Scottish Grand National Festival meeting.

Contents

2004 gala casinos daily record scottish grand national handicap chase


History

The race, then known as the "West of Scotland Grand National", was first run at a course near Houston, Renfrewshire in 1858. It consisted of 32 jumps, mainly stone walls.

In 1867, after objections by the leader of the Free Kirk in Houston, the race moved to Bogside Racecourse, near Irvine. The inaugural winner at Bogside, The Elk, was owned by the Duke of Hamilton. During the early part of its history the race's distance was about three miles. It was later extended to 3⅞ miles, and became known by its present title in 1880, when it was won by Peacock.

Bogside Racecourse closed in 1965, and the Scottish Grand National was transferred to Ayr the following year. At this point the race was increased to its present length. Several winners of the Scottish Grand National have also won its English counterpart at Aintree. The first to complete the double was Music Hall, the winner of the 1922 Grand National. The feat has been achieved more recently by Little Polveir and Earth Summit, but the only horse to win both races in the same year was Red Rum in 1974.

Prize money

The winning horse in 1867 won £100, increasing to £440 by 1906, £1030 in 1950, £5,436 in 1963 and £119,595 in 2015.

Television coverage

The first television coverage of the Scottish National was in 1953 on the BBC. It was also shown the following year, but then wasn't screened again until 1969 on ITV and has been shown live ever since. Coverage moved to Channel 4 in 1986.

Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):

  • Couvrefeu II – 1911, 1912, 1913
  • Southern Hero – 1934, 1936, 1939
  • Queen's Taste – 1953, 1954, 1956

    • Leading jockey

  • All-time (4 wins)
  • Charlie Cunningham - Bellman (1881), Wild Meadow (1885), Orcadian (1887), Deloraine (1889)
  • At Ayr (3 wins)
  • Mark Dwyer – Androma (1984, 1985), Moorcroft Boy (1996)

    • Leading trainer

  • All-time (5 wins)
  • Neville Crump – Wot No Sun (1949), Merryman II (1959), Arcturus (1968), Salkeld (1980), Canton (1983)
  • Ken Oliver – Pappageno's Cottage (1963), The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979), Cockle Strand (1982)
  • At Ayr (4 wins)
  • Ken Oliver – The Spaniard (1970), Young Ash Leaf (1971), Fighting Fit (1979), Cockle Strand (1982)

    • Winners at Ayr

  • Weights given in stones and pounds; Amateur jockeys indicated by "Mr".

    • Earlier Winners

    * There were only two runners in 1891 – neither could clear the second fence and there was no winner.

    References

    Scottish Grand National Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA