Lucinda Russell without Scottish National runner as Corach Rambler heads south

Corach Rambler, a spectacular come-from-behind winner at the Cheltenham Festival, will miss the Coral Scottish Grand National on Saturday (3.35).

Trainer Lucinda Russell is set to be without a runner in the Ayr showpiece, in which she trained Mighty Thunder to lead home a one-two-four-five for Scotland 12 months ago.

Corach Rambler was the sponsor's 10-1 joint-second favourite for the race, having come from last to first to score a remarkable success in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham earlier this month.

Watch Corach Rambler's astonishing win

However, Russell said on Sunday: "Corach Rambler will probably go for the bet365 Gold Cup. The Scottish National is a bit close to Cheltenham."

The trainer has two other entries for the £150,000 race but Mighty Thunder, who was the first Scottish winner of the Grade 3 race in nine years, is being aimed at the Randox Grand National at Aintree and Big River ran on Saturday at Kelso.

The only home-trained horses guaranteed a place in the field are the Sandy Thomson pair Hill Sixteen and The Ferry Master, who finished fourth last year.

Coral Scottish Grand National card and betting

The trainer, whose 2021 runner-up Dingo Dollar continued his build-up to Aintree by working after racing at Kelso, said: "The Ferry Master ran a good race last year and we know a bit more about him now. He didn't have the best preparation then but everything has gone to plan this season and this has always been the target.

Mighty Thunder (left) is just too strong for Dingo Dollar in the 2021 Scottish Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"Hill Sixteen is in good form but unfortunately he went up 9lb for finishing second at Kelso the other day, which was ridiculous. You want to support these good races but if the handicappers are going to be silly you're not going to get any runners in them. I appealed against it but it didn't get anywhere. He's now rated 147 and it's going to make it tough for him on Saturday."

Fellow Scot Iain Jardine hopes that Cool Mix will make the cut for Saturday's race, having finished fifth in the contest last season.

"He's a funny horse as he doesn't seem to get three miles on softish ground but on good he got the four miles there," Jardine said.

"He's been working well and he's been enjoying the good weather and drier ground. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets in on Saturday. He'd be a little bit out of the handicap but that doesn't really bother me. He's fresh and well and this is his time of year. Good ground is the key to him."

The ground was officially good to soft at Ayr on Sunday, with clerk of the course Graeme Anderson hoping to maintain conditions for the start of the two-day meeting on Friday.

Graeme Anderson: 'We'd like to start the first day on good to soft because it needs to see us through'Credit: David Carr

"We had ten dry days before we started watering last Thursday," he said. "We dumped on two circuits of 8mm and we got it to good to soft. Now we're just trying to keep it there.

"There's the chance of some showers on Wednesday but I don't think that will be anything significant so we'll just play it by ear.

"We'd like to start the first day on good to soft because it needs to see us through to the Saturday. If it was good on Friday and it dries out, as it's done in the past, we wouldn't be able to put enough water on through the night to get it back and it could end up good to firm in places."

Read more:

Corach Rambler flies home to seal festival first for 'extraordinary' Derek Fox

'We're not afraid to run more than one' - Christian Williams eyes next big prize

'Days like this make it special' - Go North Finals receive warm reception

Sign up to receive The Ante-Postman, Robbie Wilders' new weekly newsletter. Get weekend tips, festival fancies and big-race selections delivered straight to your inbox.