WE know that no Irish-trained horse has won the Scottish Grand National in over a hundred years (literally), but we are getting closer.

In 2015, Jim Dreaper got to within three-quarters of a length with Goonyella. In 2021, Pat Fahy finished a close-up third with Mister Fogpatches. Last year, Liz Doyle sent out Flash De Touzaine to finish third too.

Willie Mullins runs six horses in today’s Scottish feature, and that’s more than the combined total of runners that Irish trainers as a collective have had in the race since 2018. Add Stuart Crawford’s Gold Cup Bailly and Henry de Bromhead’s Whacker Clan, and Irish-trained horses make up almost one-third of the field.

There are cases to be made for most of the Irish runners. Macdermott was a bit of a revelation last time at Fairyhouse when stepped up to three miles.

He is up in grade today, and he is 16lb higher now than he was then, and his jumping is still a slight concern, but he is young and he is progressive and he could improve again for the step up to this extreme trip.

It is obviously significant that Paul Townend is on Spanish Harlem. The Spanish Moon gelding hasn’t won yet over fences but, a 131-rated hurdler, he ran well for a long way in a good beginners’ chase at Gowran Park last time.

Out of a half-sister to talented staying chaser Roi Des Francs, he is another for whom this marathon trip could be a positive.

Mr Incredible undoubtedly has the talent to go well in a Scottish National, it’s just a case of whether or not he will have the inclination on the day that’s in it, and if things go his way.

Underrated

At the prices, Whacker Clan may be the most under-rated of the raiding party. An impressive winner of a good handicap chase at Cheltenham’s October meeting, Henry de Bromhead gave him a nice break after that, bringing him back for a handicap hurdle at Naas at the end of February before going on to the Kim Muir.

He ran well to finish third in the Kim Muir under a fine ride from John Gleeson, and he can be marked up on the bare form of the run. Handy from early, he was forced into going a little faster than ideal earlier than ideal, so he did well to keep on as well as he did to finish third. He has 18 lengths to find on Git Maker from the Kim Muir, but he might get closer than that to Jamie Snowden’s horse today.

The drying ground should be in his favour, and the step up to this extreme trip could be a positive, and he is re-united with Rachael Blackmore, whose record on him reads 1411.

The value of the race though may be Inis Oirr.

Progressive

A progressive novice hurdler last season, Lucinda Russell’s horse has continued that progression this season. Held up when he ran well in handicap chases at Musselburgh and Market Rasen before the turn of the calendar, he took a nice step forward last time when he stepped up to almost four miles in the Edinburgh National at Musselburgh, and when he was sent off out in front, making just about all the running and running out an impressive winner.

The handicapper raised him by a stone for that to a mark of 133, but he was deserving of a fair hike, he beat proven horses Enrilo and Christopher Wood by 20 lengths.

Also, he is only seven, and that was just his fifth run over fences, so he retains lots of scope for progression. We know that he stays the trip, and he goes well on good to soft ground.

Lucinda Russell has previous here. She won the Edinburgh National in 2021 with Mighty Thunder, who finished second in the Midlands National next time off a 10lb higher mark, and who won the Scottish Grand National on his subsequent run off a 15lb higher mark.

Inis Oirr was a non-runner in the Midlands National, so he goes into today’s race even fresher than Mighty Thunder was on this day three years ago.

It is a little bit of a worry that a lot of his good runs have been at Musselburgh, and that he can go a little to his right, but he has run well at Kelso too over hurdles, so hopefully going left-handed won’t be an issue for him and anyway, that worry is more than incorporated into his odds.

Greenham Stakes

Room Service is stepping up in trip, to seven furlongs, in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, but that could be a positive.

All his runs last season were over distances from five to six and a half furlongs, but he kept on well to take third place behind pillar-to-post winner Zoulu Chief in a six-furlong nursery at York in August, and he stayed on well to win the valuable Weatherbys race at Doncaster in September over six and a half.

He made his ground on the far side that day, and he kept on well to win impressively from Dragon Leader, who enhanced the form when he won the Listed Two-Year-Old Trophy at Redcar next time.

He handles easy conditions well, and trainer Kevin Ryan’s horses were in good form this week at the Craven meeting.

Room Service, 2.40 Newbury, 1 point win, 8/1 (generally)

Inis Oirr, 3.35 Ayr, 1 point each-way, 10/1 (generally)