MacDermott (Danny Mullins) winning at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
This afternoon’s Coral Scottish Grand National card at Ayr could prove pivotal in determining the UK Trainers Championship with Willie Mullins saddling six runners in the £200,000 feature and 18 runners in total on the eight-race card.
Dan Skelton recorded a treble at Ayr yesterday to edge £5,000 ahead of Mullins in the title race which ends at Sandown next Saturday, while Paul Nicholls is certainly not out of contention a further £82,000 back in third place.
The Mullins sextet in the Scottish National at 3.35pm is probably headed by Spanish Harlem and MacDermott who are both 9/1 shots with the sponsors.
Nicholls is represented by topweight Stay Away Fay in the near four-mile stamina test while Skelton relies on Ballygrifincottage.
There is further Irish interest in the shape of the Henry de Bromhead-trained Whacker Clan who filled third spot in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham last month.
The £100,000 Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle is the chief supporting race and Mullins has three runners with Paul Townend taking the mount on Bialystok while Skelton supplies the 7/2 favourite L’eau Du Sud.
