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<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ayr-racecourse.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10719"/><figcaption>Ayr racecourse. Photo: William Craig (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>)<br></figcaption></figure></div>
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<p><strong>There was an English Grand National, an Irish Grand National and a Scottish Grand National... no, seriously.</strong></p>
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<p>In these days of devolved powers, there's also a Welsh Grand National and
countless more on a hyperlocal level throughout the British Isles so your area
doesn't feel left out.</p>
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<p>"National" races are invariably run over three-and-a-half miles or
even&nbsp;further, so there's more fences for racehorses to jump and more
chance that the jockeys sitting on them wearing nothing but boots,
jodhpurs,&nbsp;silks and a smile will fall off.</p>
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<p>This type of event is as a handicap - as if clearing fences made of birch
isn't enough of a handicap already. Take the Scottish National for instance.</p>
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<p>How can it be the <a href="https://www.paddypower.com/horse-racing?tab=grand-national">Ayr Grand National</a> is run on the same track as the Ayr Gold Cup? The first race held annually in April is a marathon over four miles, yet later in the year Gold Cup horses only have to sprint on the Flat for six furlongs in September!</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ayr-gold-cup-1024x306.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10720"/><figcaption>Ayr Gold Cup meeting. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/eliteayrshirebusinesscircle/">Elite Ayreshire Business Circle</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>)</figcaption></figure>
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<p>It's clear which thoroughbreds have got the cushy number. The Ayr Gold Cup
is more or less over in 60 seconds. Meanwhile, it isn't possible to complete
the Scottish Grand National in six minutes.</p>
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<p>Ayr hasn't always been home to the race. It used to be run at Bogside
Racecourse, which closed in 1965 when the track fell into the nearby River
Irvine. In actual fact, they continued hosting point-to-point horse racing
there for almost another 30 years after the change of venue.</p>
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<p>Bogside produced some of the strangest named winners of the Scottish Grand
National or horse races in general ever. The first running in 1867 went to The
Elk - now, it's hardly fair to run a stag against horses.</p>
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<p>That disturbing trend continued with subsequent winners called Greenland,
Huntsman, Snowstorm, Keystone, and most worryingly of all Solicitor. Militant,
Peacock, Gunboat, The Peer, Wild Meadow,&nbsp;Crossbow, Ireland. No, it's not a
lost verse of Billy Joel's <em>We Didn't Start The Fire</em>, but more Scottish
Grand National winners from Bogside.</p>
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<p>Big Busbie won the race in 1901 - before going on to manage Manchester United to European Cup glory more than 50 years later. Sir Matt would probably approve of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47471378">Ole Gunnar Solskjaer</a>.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/red-rum-statue.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10721"/><figcaption>Red Rum is the only Scottish Grand National winner to have a statue in a shopping centre. Photo: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/kev_the_minion/">Budd-Warrior</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY 2.0</a>)</figcaption></figure></div>
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<p>When the Scottish National moved to Ayr, it truly became more of a trial for
the English equivalent at Aintree. Red Rum (they make whisky in Scotland, don't
they?) won it in 1974 after successfully defending his title on Merseyside.</p>
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<p>As it's often run in close proximity to Aintree, the days of doubling up are
done. A cynic might say the Scottish Grand National is a consolation race for
those that can't get in at Aintree.</p>
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<p>There's no telling that to Joe Farrell who prevailed at Ayr <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2018/04/21/rebecca-curtis-joy-joe-farrell-wins-scottish-national/">by
a nose</a> in last year's race from Ballyoptic. He'll need over 30 horses to
come out of the English equivalent to line-up on Merseyside on Saturday, 6
April for the Grand National mind.</p>
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<p>Rebecca Curtis' Welsh stable - you'd think she'd have aimed him at Chepstow,
the site of another British Grand National - pulled off the surprise. It's
decidedly nearer home than Ayr!</p>
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