Just like last year, Willie Mullins arrives at Ayr mob-handed in the Scottish Grand National of 2025 with six of the 23 declared runners. The master of Closutton again chases the British Trainers’ Championship after landing the Aintree equivalent last week.
More than that, Mullins mounts filled five of the first seven spots on Merseyside. He is out for more Ayr glory with the half-dozen strong team led by last year’s winner Macdermott and Chosen Witness, another who scored at this meeting 12 months ago.
Also representing Closutton are a couple more down the field in the 2024 edition. Both fourth and sixth home Klarc Kent and Spanish Harlem re-oppose. Olympic Man and Captain Cody complete the Mullins sextet.
While last season’s race is a key piece of form for the Scottish Grand National in 2025, there are other lines punters should consider. Plenty of horses that graced the Cheltenham Festival also line-up at Ayr.
These include runners who contested the National Hunt Chase and Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Ultimately, Scotland’s equivalent of Aintree sadly serves a sort of consolation race for those who didn’t make the cut into the world’s most famous steeplechase.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t connections in the field that haven’t had this race in mind for some time, however. It’s not all about Mullins either with other Irish trainers and the home team saddling their own hopes.
It’s a fascinating puzzle for punters on horse racing betting sites where traders naturally run scared of the scattergun approach by the leading stable. We’ve our experts on hand with detailed analysis of the runners they like most for the Ayr showpiece and why.
Last Year’s Top 6 Sure to Be Involved in Scottish Grand National 2025
Just a nose and bob of their heads separated Macdermott from Toby Lawes’ Surrey Quest crossing the line 12 months ago. The pair actually meet again on marginally better terms for the winner, but the runner-up was unlucky to say the least.
Surrey Quest hit the frame in two of three subsequent starts this season. A solid second over nearly 3m 4f at Cheltenham on reappearance suggested he retains his ability. The eight-year-old ran on into third in the Edinburgh National behind veteran Magna Sam around Musselburgh.
Now back on a more galloping track like Ayr, Surrey Quest should be fully primed for a serious tilt at going one better. Macdermott keeps his partnership with Danny Mullins intact, meanwhile, for all the pair haven’t achieved much since.
They have six and eight lengths in hand on stable companions Klarc Kent, who runs from out of the handicap this time, and Spanish Harlem respectively. The concern with Macdermott is he doesn’t come into the Scottish Grand National of 2025 in the same form.
Spanish Harlem is 9lb better off with the winner and Klarc Kent almost an entire stone. It gives both claims of reversing last year’s form from a handicapping perspective.
Klarc Kent is an 11-chase maiden who hasn’t been getting home in his races this season. He was only eighth in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last month.
Reversing last term’s placings with him in the Thyestes Chase, meanwhile, was Spanish Harlem. He also kept on nicely into fourth in the official Irish Grand National Trial around Punchestown last time, which augurs well for going back up in trip.
Other Mullins Mounts Seek to Shed Maiden Tags
Like Klarc Kent, two more stable companions haven’t won over fences just yet. Chosen Witness was the ante-post gamble of the Scottish Grand National in 2025 with online bookies slashing him into favourite during the week.
A narrow winner of the 3m novices’ handicap hurdle at this two-day fixture last season, he’s done no better than third after three steeplechase outings. Chosen Witness doesn’t look the most obvious of favourites, especially as he unseated on his latest run.
Also still a maiden is Captain Cody after two fourths, a third and his own unseat in the National Hunt Chase. It was definitely too early to say what would’ve happened to him at Cheltenham when he parted company with his rider.
That third place effort around Navan beforehand saw Captain Cody home in front of re-opposing Mullins mounts Olympic Man. That one has gone on to win next time out down in trip and up the hill at Naas.
Both are in their first season over fences and open to any amount of further improvement, but also look difficult to assess in relation to the Scottish Grand National of 2025, which is Chosen Witness and Olympic Man’s handicap chase debut.
Jockey bookings can’t reveal as much as they normal would with Mullins stable number one Paul Townend not coming over to Ayr. Sean O’Keeffe partners Chosen Witness with Patrick Mullins aboard Olympic Man, Brian Hayes on Spanish Harlem, and outside rides for Harry Cobden and Jonny Burke who get the leg up on Captain Cody and Klarc Kent respectively.
More Irish Trainers Heading to Ayr with Hopefuls
There is more to this race than Closutton, however. The 2023 third Flash De Touzaine comes over again for Liz Doyle with Sean Flanagan riding. Now aged 10, he’s officially 1lb lower in the handicap now than then.
Flash De Touzaine returns to Ayr for the Scottish Grand National in 2025 off the back of victory in a veterans’ race on decent ground around Limerick. A sound surface seems important to him and a dry forecast with watering to maintain good to soft at slowest is the situation there.
Cian Collins is no stranger to saddling winners on these shores, meanwhile. Jazzy Matty captured the historic Grand Annual Chase for his Navan yard, so bottom weight Brandt is interesting even from 4lb out of the handicap.
A hold-up performer that seems to have come into his own since Christmastime and tackling longer trips, he landed the inaugural Dublin National. While this demands plenty more than that Leopardstown event over an extended 3m 4f, Brandt is completely unexposed as a stayer and UK champion jockey elect Sean Bowen takes the ride.
There’s no recent history of horses running off lowly marks in the mid-120s coming anywhere near winning this but, with only seven running from a rating of 140+, some sneak in. This is partly due to the Lucinda Russell stable swerving the race completely.
Rock My Way Could Have His Day in Scottish Grand National of 2025
The Tizzard stable has always produced staying chasers, and Joe follows in the tradition set out by retired father Colin. National Hunt Chase second Rock My Way, who had to swerve around a faller at the penultimate fence, goes up in trip for the yard here.
Another who doesn’t mind better ground, he made sure of the runner-up spot at Cheltenham. Although no match for Haiti Couleurs, one laid out for Festival glory a long time beforehand, Rock My Way beat everything else.
Re-opposing Hasthing took what may have been a tired fall at the last, but Will Do galvanised the Tizzard horse on the run-in. With Klarc Kent trailing in well-beaten, 4lb worse terms aren’t anything for Rock My Way to worry about.
The even longer distance of the Scottish Grand National in 2025 may be just perfect for him. Rock My Way has only gone up 1lb with the handicapper for his second the last day.
Of other British stables, Dan Skelton runs two in course winner Sail Away and Snipe. Neither makes much appeal, but Grimthorpe Chase runner-up The Kniphand could be worth trying up in trip. Nigel Twiston-Davies has son Sam riding him now.
Henry’s Friend, a non-stayer in the Ultima Handicap Chase, may be in the grip of the handicapper. Those down the field in the Kim Muir, meanwhile, must improve if any of Grozni, Wiseguy, Dom Of Mary or Walking On Air want to seriously threaten the Irish contingent.
