he ‘National’ season will wind up in Ayr on Saturday with Scotland’s version set to have a warm favourite in last year’s runner-up Kitty’s Light.
After Easter Monday’s Fairyhouse features, and Saturday’s Aintree drama, this Saturday’s Coral Scottish Grand National completes a trio of big staying prizes within just a dozen days.
Welsh trainer Christian Williams saddled Win My Wings to success in 2022 and had a one-two with Kitty’s Light filling the runner-up spot.
The latter is a 4-1 favourite with the big-race sponsor to go one better this time and the shape of the Eider Chase winner’s task will become clearer after Monday’s latest confirmation stage.
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Also prominent in ante-post betting is the Charles Byrnes-trained Temptationinmilan although Irish hopes face a mammoth statistical mountain to climb at Ayr.
The last Scottish National winner trained in Ireland was Huntsman all of 154 years ago in 1869.
Gordon Elliott has also kept open a number of options for the race including the current topweight Galvin. He lined up in Aintree on Saturday but unseated Davy Russell at the first.
“I broke the number one rule and got blinded at the first. We just galloped through it, but he got up and seemed to gallop away,” reported Russell who confirmed his retirement after riding in the last race at Aintree on Saturday.
The former triple-champion jockey made it a Grade One finale too as he partnered Irish Point to top-flight success on Saturday in the Mersey Hurdle.
Having announced his retirement in December, the 43-year-old Cork man quickly made a return to the saddle following Jack Kennedy’s leg injury.
He picked up an injury himself at the Dublin Racing Festival in February and only just made it back in time for Cheltenham where he endured a frustrating time before standing himself down prior to the Gold Cup.
Urged to try and secure a more appropriate career farewell by both Elliott and his wife, Edelle, Russell’s return paid off at Liverpool with another Grade One victory through Gerri Colombe on Friday.
“My wife was very upset after Cheltenham. We’ve had so much success and Cheltenham just wasn’t really a happy place for me this year. I enjoyed it, but it just didn’t end up the way we would have liked.
“In between my wife and Gordon, they wanted me to end on a better note,” Russell said.
In other news, one of Saturday’s National runners, Cape Gentleman, will see out his retirement in the US having seen his racing career finish in the big race.
Despite taking to the unique jumping test, Cape Gentleman struck into himself in between obstacles and was swiftly pulled up by jockey Jody McGarvey before the 14th.
“His racing career is finished, but he will be saved,” said trainer ‘Shark’ Hanlon. “He will be coming back to me for five or six months and then he is going on to America to be retired with his owner.
“He is a very good owner and it is the first horse I have had for the man and we were all very upset yesterday. But he still had his head with him and he wanted the horse to live and said ‘we have plenty of land, he can have a good life over with me’. It’s a very good outcome,” he added.
