THERE’S a different hue about the Coral Scottish Grand National this year. Two years ago, Willie Mullins ran six and won it with one, Macdermott, a victory that propelled the Irish champion trainer towards victory in the championship in Britain as well.

Last year, there were six Willie Mullins-trained representatives in the race again and, again, there was one Willie Mullins-trained winner, Captain Cody, and one Willie Mullins-trained second, Klarc Kent, an exacta in a race, which, once more, was a cog in a second British National Hunt trainers’ championship for Closutton.

No trainers’ championship on the line this year – even I Am Maximus couldn’t bridge the gap to Dan Skelton – and there are fewer Irish-trained runners this year than there were Willie Mullins-trained runners in each of the last two years. And, before Macdermott, Irish-trained horses just didn’t win the Scottish Grand National.

They travel in justifiable hope today though. Willie Mullins’ sole representative this year, Road To Home, ran a big race to finish second in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last time on just his fifth run over hurdles. With Patrick Mullins on board again today, the Gamut gelding has just a neck to find with his Kim Muir conqueror Ask Brewster, and he is 1lb better off.

Kim Roque was eight lengths behind Ask Brewster and Road To Home in the Kim Muir, but he did well to get as close as he did, given that he was held up through the early stages of the race.

The first three home all raced prominently, and Joseph O’Brien’s horse was the only one of the first seven home to come from worse than mid-division, in a race in which, and on a day on which, the prominent racers dominated.

Potential

He gets to race off a 1lb lower mark too, he is 8lb better off with Ask Brewster and he is 7lb better off with Road To Home.

He is only six and has raced just seven times over fences, so he has lots of potential for further progression, and he has the potential to progress again as he moves up in trip.

He had never been beyond two miles and six furlongs before he went to Cheltenham, and he put up a career-best performance in the Kim Muir, over the longest trip over which he had ever raced. He goes into the race with a big chance and he deserves his place high in the market.

Blaze The Way finds himself at the top of the handicap on 12 stone, which makes things tricky.

Only Grey Abbey has carried more than 11st 10lb to victory since Red Rum carried 11st 13lb in 1974. And Blaze The Way has to carry 1lb more than Red Rum carried.

It’s not as arduous as that though. Three of the last five winners and five of the last nine carried 11 stone or more, and Vicente carried 11st 10b in 2017. More importantly, Blaze The Way was very good at Cheltenham in January, and a repeat of that performance would bring Mags Mullins’ horse right into it, even under top weight.

Promontory would be some story. His trainer Sarah Connell took out her licence just two years ago.

When Promontory won a maiden hurdle at Limerick last April, that was her first winner.

Then he won the Dublin National at Leopardstown in March, and that was massive. She has had four winners so far, and Promontory is two of them (Catchabird is the other two).

This is obviously a big step up in grade for Promontory, and he is 14lb higher than he was at Leopardstown, and 5lb higher in Scotland than he is in Ireland.

He is nine years old, but he has raced just four times over fences, and he stays well and he goes well on the ground, and his rider Donagh Meyler already has one National in the bag this season.

Best of British

Best of the British could be Chasingouttheblues. Mark Walford’s horse has a really nice profile for the race, he has raced just seven times over fences and he goes into the race on an upward trajectory - he has won three of his last four races - and he will have just 10st 9lb to carry. And he is only seven.

The last three winners were six or seven, and six of the last nine were eight or younger.

The Sea Moon gelding was gutsy in winning at Catterick in February off a mark of 120 in his first-time cheekpieces, and he stepped forward from that last time when he followed up at Carlisle off a mark of 122 in second-time cheekpieces, when he stayed on well up the hill to catch Upfordebate, and went on close home from Fierce Warrior.

On both occasions, he needed every yard of the extended three-mile trip, and he left the impression that he would be even better over further.

A 4lb hike for that Carlisle win was fine, he has the profile to improve by more than that, and the step up to a marathon trip could unlock further progression.

Unbeaten in cheekpieces, he goes well on good to soft ground and on soft ground, and he won a three-mile handicap hurdle at Ayr in January last year in one of just two runs at the track. He could go well.

Spring Cup selection

Changing tracks and codes and jurisdictions, Fifth Column looks over-priced in the Spring Cup at Newbury.

The top of the market is peppered with horses who ran in the Lincoln, and that makes sense.

The Lincoln and the Spring Cup are not dissimilar in terms of make-up and attributes required, both big-field handicaps run over a straight mile on spring ground.

And, historically, there is a good correlation between the two races.

Shout should do better than he did at Doncaster, he was just too keen through the early part of the race and, racing off a 1lb lower mark today, with that run under his belt, his seasonal debut, he could leave that run behind him.

And it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rogue Diplomat reversing Lincoln places with Urban Lion. James Owen’s horse was a little unlucky in the Lincoln.

Slowly away, he had to come from back in the field, and he missed out by the bob of a head in a race in which the first two had a little bit of a break on their rivals, and in which three of the first five home raced prominently.

Rogue Diplomat was tempting again, but he is short and it may be that he is at his best at Doncaster. He has raced there three times, his last three races have been there, and those three runs are up there with the best of his life.

If he can be as good at Newbury as he is at Doncaster – and there is no real reason why he shouldn’t be, it may be that he is simply a seriously progressive horse - then he should be involved again, up just 3lb in the handicap.

Bigger price

But Fifth Column is a more attractive betting proposition at a bigger price. The Godolphin horse was well beaten in each of his last two runs last season, but they were in the Cambridgeshire, when he was drawn on the wrong side but still ran well for a long way over a nine-furlong trip that probably stretched his stamina, and in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot, where he has never been at his best. He has raced three times on Ascot’s straight track now, and he has under-performed on each occasion. It just might not be his track.

Also, you can always allow a horse a moderate run in mid-October, on the dying embers of the season.

The Gosdens’ horse is better judged on his victory in the Sky Bet Mile Heritage Handicap at York’s Ebor meeting in August, when he did well to win.

A little keener than ideal through the early stages of the race, he was short of room at the two-furlong marker when William Buick wanted to go forward.

Still only seventh passing the furlong marker, he picked up well into a quickening pace, and he left the impression that he had more in hand that the narrow winning margin.

Versatile in terms of ground conditions, he is only 4lb higher now than he was for that York win, and he is a four-year-old, like the last five winners, who has the potential to progress again this season.

And his draw in stall four is probably a positive.

They tend to edge over towards the stands’ side in the Spring Cup, and that usually allows the low-drawn horses a clearer passage than the horses who race closer to the rail.

Last year’s race was run over the round mile, but the five renewals that went before were all won by horses drawn six or lower.

And, of the 20 places available in those five renewals, 15 were filled by horses drawn eight or lower.

Recommended

Chasingouttheblues - 3.35 Ayr 11/1 (generally)

Fifth Column - 3.10 Newbury 1pt e/w @ 12/1 (generally)