Mighty Thunder beats Dingo Dollar

Will there be another Scottish-trained winner of the Scottish Grand National?

By Mike Vince

Horse Racing

Fri April 01, 2022 · 4y ago

Mike Vince highlights the fact no Irish horse has ever won the Coral Scottish Grand National and considers whether the prize will stay at home again this term.

We've come a long way in the Scottish Grand National since the chaotic scenes of 1891, where the history books tell of two runners, neither of whom got further than the second fence!

The 2022 renewal is unusual coming a week before Aintree but recent history also shows its unique place in history as we await the huge field lining up to jump the 27 fences on Saturday.

First, the last three winners have been trained in England, Wales and Scotland - there was no race in 2020, and despite carrying all before them elsewhere, the Irish have yet to win it.

It’s a race with a roll of honour, since it was moved to Ayr in the 1960s, headed by the legendary Red Rum, who won in 1974 just days after a second Aintree romp, while Little Polveir - for different trainers - and Earth Summit also added Scotland’s biggest race to Aintree glory.

And in 2002 a most unlikely combination, as they were normally in opposing camps, saw the race won by Take Control. He was trained by Martin Pipe and the fact he was Ruby Walsh’s only winner of the race has featured in many a racing quiz.

But last year's contest, delayed to a Sunday by the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, will be talked about by the locals for generations as it produced one of the most memorable results for Scottish racing in its history.

Four of the first five home were trained in Scotland as Lucinda Russell got her name on the board after training the eight-year-old Mighty Thunder, ridden by Tom Scudamore, to a famous win.

He and the favourite Dingo Dollar, trained by Sandy Thomson, ridden by Ryan Mania and the horse that had made much of the running, had the finish to themselves with another Thomson runner, The Ferry Master, fourth and Iain Jardine’s Cool Mix fifth.

Only the Irish raider Mister Fogpatches in third prevented a clean sweep, with the sixth home, the Nicky Richards-trained Chidswell, the first runner home from south of Hadrian’s Wall.

On Saturday, Christian Williams will try and follow in a rich tradition of Welsh trainers who have claimed the race.

Most recently it was in 2018 when Joe Farrell, trained by Rebecca Curtis and ridden by Adam Wedge, caused a 33/1 shock, and earlier that decade both Beshabar, trained by Tim Vaughan, and Al Co from Peter Bowen’s yard had hit the jackpot for the Principality.

It is always a fiercely competitive race, as you’d expect from the Coral sponsored showpiece, but trying to find the winner has proved next to impossible.

It is, in short, a race Scottish racing should be proud of and they’ll be going all out to thwart the Irish again and keep the big prize at home once more come Saturday afternoon.

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