Scottish Grand National tips: Selections for all eight races at Ayr on Saturday

The Scottish Grand National takes place at Ayr on Saturday afternoon, with Willie Mullins sending a battalion of horses over to the meeting in his bid to be crowned the UK's champion trainer for the first time.

The Co Carlow handler runs six in the big race at Ayr, but jumping giant Mr Vango is fancied to tower over his rivals and deliver an emotional victory for the Bradstock family in the Scottish Grand National.

The eight-year-old, who stands over 18 hands, is the least experienced in the field having had only three starts over fences.

READ MORE: Scottish Grand National 2024 full race card and tips - list of runners and odds at Ayr on Saturday

Yet he showed he is custom-made to tests like this 4m marathon when he captured the Devon National at Exeter in February.

He made all the running under today’s jockey Ben Jones and crossed the line an astonishing 60 lengths clear. Tragically his trainer Mark Bradstock died just a few days later.

With wife Sara taking on the licence Mr Vango contested the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, where he met Corbetts Cross and Embassy Gardens at level weights despite having an 18lb inferior rating.

He ran well for a long way and only gave best after making a mistake at the final fence before finishing third.

The winner Corbetts Cross franked the form by finishing third in the William Hill Bowl at Aintree last week, confirming himself a contender for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Famously the Bradstocks won the Gold Cup with Coneyrgree in 2015 when he was still a novice.

Mr Vango is a long way off that level but, when it comes to landing a race like the Scottish Grand National with a horse of his inexperience, the Bradstocks have form.

Meanwhile, Mullins won’t want to waste an opportunity to press home his advantage in the British jumps trainers’ championship.

He can strike straightaway with UNCLE PHIL (1.15) in the opening handicap chase. He’s won three out of six over fences and was a comfortable winner at Fairyhouse in January. He has more to offer than Aintree winner Sans Bruit.

Harry Fry fits cheek pieces to DEEPER BLUE (1.50), a move which can help the horse end a sequence of two second places in the novices’ handicap chase.

Last year’s race winner Rubaud should find FIRST STREET (2.25) too classy in the Scottish Champion Hurdle.

The selection has been off the track since January having met both Lossiemouth and Constitution Hill this season and returns from his fourth bout of wind surgery.

And COCO MADEMOISELLE (3.00) can put Mullins’s championship rival Dan Skelton in the winners’ enclosure after comfortably winning a mares’ event at Chepstow.

AYR TIPS:

1.15 UNCLE PHIL 1.50 DEEPER BLUE 2.25 FIRST STREET 3.00 COCO MAEDMOISELLE 3.35 MR VANGO 4.10 MAJOR FORTUNE 4.45 QUAI DE BOURBON 5.20 C’EST TA CHANCE

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