THERE had been no Irish-trained winner of the Coral Scottish Grand National (3.35) since 1869 until Willie and Danny Mullins took Ayr by storm with Macdermott in the 2024 renewal. It goes to show how quickly trends can change that the visitors are today fancied to make it three Scottish Nationals in a row in 2026 - responsible for two of the top three in the betting for the £200,000 feature at Ayr.

Having saddled the 1-2 last year when Captain Cody breezed through under Harry Cobden, Willie Mullins has strong claims of notching his third consecutive win in the race with Kim Muir runner-up Road To Home, set to be ridden again by Patrick Mullins.

However, the seven-year-old was third in the market behind an Irish-trained favourite overnight, with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Kim Roque heading up bookmakers’ lists.

After a gutting defeat with Jordans in the Randox Grand National at Aintree last week, it could be some degree of compensation for connections if the French recruit could capitalise on an attractive weight of 10st 13lb in the Scottish equivalent. He is now 1lb lower than last time, when fourth and just shy of eight lengths behind Road To Home in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham.

J.J. Slevin now takes over on this season’s Leopardstown Chase fifth for owners Ronnie Bartlett, Justin Carthy and Mrs Paul Shanahan.

“Drying ground might suit Kim Roque and he’s going to win a big race somewhere along the line,” Slevin told this week’s The Racing Edge Podcast (produced by The Irish Field).

“I’m not saying it’s going to be the this weekend but he will somewhere. He ran well in the Kim Muir last time and I think he’ll run a good race here.”

One of only two six-year-olds in the race (and officially the youngest in the line-up, being a mid-June foal), Kim Roque is the same age as 2024 hero Macdermott, who himself was the first six-year-old to win the race in 30 years.

This weekend’s ante-post favourite had never raced beyond two miles and six furlongs before his Cheltenham outing over an extended three and a quarter miles last time, so will be entering into even more unknown territory now over four miles.

“We think he has plenty of stamina, but we will find out whether he stays here,” added O’Brien.

“He’s trained well since the Kim Muir and has had a good year so far without winning. Hopefully he might be able to make an impact before the year is over.”

Top-weight challenge

Danny Mullins came up trumps for his uncle in this two years ago and is tasked with doing the same for his mother Mags in the 2026 edition. Blaze The Way, who was expertly placed to win a £100,000 handicap chase at Cheltenham in December, must give weight to all rivals here, despite coming down 1lb for his seventh behind Johnnywho in the Ultima at Cheltenham last time.

With a rating of 145, he is the lowest rated top-weight in the Scottish National for a quarter of a century (highest-rated horses in last three runnings were 150, 158 and 154). The last top-weight to win the race was 30-length scorer Grey Abbey in 2004 (off a similar mark of 148).

“Blaze The Way is in good order, he jumped over Willie’s fences and I’m delighted with him,” said Mags Mullins.

“We are happy. I wouldn’t be staying at home, I’m happy to be going. He’s a nice horse. He ran well at Cheltenham and at Naas [when fifth in a Grade 3 novice chase], he got bumped into quite a lot but I was happy. We will give it a go. Whether we are good enough we will see.”

Three-horse trainer Sarah Connell takes a rise in class with her ready Dublin National Handicap Chase winner Promontory to complete the Irish challenge.

The market indicates that the best of the home squad is Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore’s King Of Answers, who caught the eye powering into second in the National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham 39 days ago.

“He stepped up from what he had done at Cheltenham,” said Scudamore.

“The slightly softer ground that looks likely on Saturday should also play to his strengths. He’s got a lot of weight to carry [11st 12lb] but he’s got that weight because he deserves it. He’s had a nice freshen up since Cheltenham and he’s very well. He’s just improved and improved as the season has gone on, which is nice, and hopefully he can take another step forward on Saturday.”