Ayr prepared for capped sell-out crowd of 15,000 on Scottish Grand National day

Saturday's Coral Scottish Grand National will take place in front of a sell-out crowd despite supply challenges ahead of the two-day meeting.

Attendance at Ayr this year has been capped at 15,000, compared to a crowd of 18,000 the last time the race was staged in front of spectators in 2019.

3.35 Ayr Saturday: Coral Scottish Grand National racecard and betting

Managing director David Brown said: "We were mindful of challenges with supply changes. In January we still effectively had racing behind closed doors.

"Principally you have staffing challenges and then supply challenges in terms of food and drink. We're happy and comfortable where we are at this moment in time but it's been a challenging period. As a business the last major raceday crowd was in September, so we've gone six months without any material customers."

Mighty Thunder won last year's Scottish Grand National in different circumstancesCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He added: "We want to ensure everyone who comes along has a good, comfortable experience and access to toilets and bars, so that's what our goal is."

For the first time since 1883, the Scottish National takes place before the Grand National at Aintree, but Brown hopes the changes will be a "one-year special".

"It's to assist the industry with the way Easter falls and the programme book," he said. "It's not something we're keen to replicate. We race on March 12 and we like to have a five-or-six-week gap between our last week in March and the Scottish National meeting, whereas this year it's only been three weeks."

The going at Ayr is good to soft, good in places ahead of the Scottish National, in which the Christian Williams-trained duo Kitty's Light and Win My Wings head the market.

Clerk of the course Graeme Anderson said on Wednesday: "We've had no rain overnight, our GoingStick this morning was 7.1 and we're watering to maintain.

"The forecast now through until Sunday is mainly dry with highs of 9C and a minimum tonight of -2C."

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