00:00 Hello and welcome to the Scotsman's Daily Bulletin for Friday. I'm Alion and I'm Deputy
00:14 Editor of the Scotsman. I'm joined today by our Sport Editor Mark Atkinson to take a look
00:19 ahead to a huge weekend. Hi Mark.
00:22 Hello Al.
00:23 Let's have a look at the front page first off. We lead today on comments from Labour
00:30 leader Sir Keir Starmer around Trident. He's fully committed to the UK's nuclear deterrent
00:38 and Trident on the Clyde. That is going to cause a bit of a stushy given the SNP's
00:43 position on nuclear weapons. The picture on the front there, Jack Nicholls getting the
00:49 Masters in the US underway. Martin Dempster is there for us. Also to mention at the top
00:55 of the page there we have an eight page guide to the Grand National. Can you believe it's
01:01 come around already, Grand National this weekend. That's a good point to hand over to Mark because
01:08 Mark there is a lot of sport happening this weekend.
01:11 Yeah, you're not going to get bored this weekend if you're a sports fan, that's for sure.
01:18 What's your pick? Let's start with the Premiership.
01:22 Okay, yeah, domestic football first. Yeah, normally this weekend, we call it game week
01:29 33 in the Premiership, is a very decisive weekend because it marks when the league splits
01:35 in two. It won't happen this weekend, well it could happen but it's probably unlikely
01:40 because we have an outstanding fixture next week between Dundee and Rangers that needs
01:45 to be fulfilled. There are three teams pushing for the last place in the top six. Dundee
01:51 are a point clear of Hibbs, who in turn are two points clear of Motherwell. If Dundee
01:57 beat Aberdeen today, oh sorry, on Saturday, it doesn't matter what happens, it doesn't
02:02 matter what happens, they're in the top six. That game at Baton Rouge is by no means a
02:07 guaranteed three points for Dundee, they don't have a good record up there. And if they were
02:11 to draw or lose, it would open the door to Hibbs and Motherwell, who meet at Fir Park.
02:17 So yeah, it's a big weekend for those three teams and of course we have a title race,
02:22 a big weekend for Rangers and Celtic. Celtic are up first, at home to St Mirren on Saturday,
02:27 they can go four points clear at the top of the Premiership. Rangers take on Ross County
02:32 on Sunday at noon. So yeah, very busy weekend in the Premiership, we are right at the business
02:37 end of the season. Good stuff. And it is, maybe we're just speaking a little about the difference
02:46 between the top six and the bottom six and what a huge difference that can make financially
02:51 for a club like Hibbs. Yeah, so I think the biggest spotlight is on Hibbs, given that they
02:56 are the team that most people would expect to be in the top six at the start of the season.
03:01 They have underperformed this season and should they miss out, and there's a good chance they
03:05 will miss out, then they will lose out on a home derby against Hearts, which will bring,
03:11 well, three and a half thousand guaranteed away fans. And they would also miss out on a home
03:18 match against one of the old firm teams. Plus the prize money and the kudos of being in the top six.
03:24 And remember, it's still quite tight in the chase for European football. Fifth place is likely to
03:30 get a European spot for next season. And if Hibbs are in the top six, they can't finish fifth. So,
03:36 yeah, it's worth a lot for them. Conversely, Dundee and Motherwell probably didn't budget
03:41 for top six football. So if they get in, then they get a boost to their coffers.
03:45 Perhaps Dundee could spend it on their pitch if they get there.
03:48 Let's move away from that controversial issue, shall we say, and consider the Grand National,
04:00 which is coming up tomorrow. It doesn't seem like a year since Grand National, to be honest,
04:07 but there is Scottish interest once again. There is. Well, we had a Scottish winner last time
04:13 around in Cork Rambler. Now, Cork Rambler, I'm a bit surprised that Cork Rambler is the favourite
04:21 to win again. But I was looking at the odds this morning, and that is the case. Fantastic horse,
04:27 a horse that will stay the trip, always gives its all. Ran at Cheltenham in March and ran pretty
04:36 well, got reasonably close to the winner. So obviously in good shape. A lot of Scots will be
04:43 looking for Cork Rambler to deliver. Again, I know a few people at our office, Alan,
04:47 who backed Cork Rambler last year and got a nice reward from that. But look, it's a very difficult
04:54 race to pick a winner. I could go through a number of horses that have a chance of winning,
04:58 but the reality is that all 40 could win. It's a really difficult race to call, just given the
05:06 fact that there's so many variables. It's an exciting race. And actually, it's one where you
05:10 sit back and enjoy. If you're a big horse racing fan, most punters say that the Grand National
05:16 actually isn't a good race to bet on because it's so imponderable. But it's a look, it's an
05:22 iconic moment in our sporting calendar. I often feel that summer is on the way when the Grand
05:27 National comes over. Looking outside today, maybe I think otherwise. But what a great story it would
05:32 be if Cork Rambler, under Lucinda Russell-Schutelidge, was to win again. I hope so,
05:38 because for nostalgia's sake, if nothing else, I'll be backing Cork Rambler.
05:42 Absolutely. And from Scottish interest in the Grand National, we've got the Masters on at
05:49 the moment, which has no Scottish interest this time around. It's rare for that to happen,
05:55 mainly because Sandy Lyle, a champion, was always invited back. But he's hung up the clubs now. And
06:01 as you say, unfortunately, we don't have a Scot in the field this time around. Doesn't mean the
06:06 Masters isn't worth watching, though. What a tournament. Although it has been blighted by the
06:10 weather conditions over in Augusta. Martin Dempster is there for us. He sent over a gloomy
06:17 video last night from the first day's play. It's going to be a bumper day today, actually, because
06:22 some golfers, including Tiger Woods, have not completed their first round yet. So they've got
06:27 to play more than the usual 18 holes to get through it. Tiger Woods, who is not especially fit at the
06:35 moment, given his injury concerns, that will be a challenge for him. Then we have the Cuts. So,
06:39 yeah, a busy, busy weekend on the Masters front. Scottish chef for the world number one,
06:43 looking very ominous indeed. Great. Look, we're not done yet, because there's also a lot of rugby
06:49 happening this weekend. Yeah, don't forget the rugby. Let's start with a milestone moment in
06:55 Edinburgh on Saturday, that the Hive Stadium will play host to Scotland against England in the
07:01 Women's Six Nations. It's a complete sellout, just under 8,000 people expected there. And that will
07:06 set a record for Scottish attendance for a women's match. That is a big, big moment. A lot of people
07:11 say that there's a seismic moment, actually, for the game in Scotland. Scotland will go in as
07:16 underdogs against the England team, but that's a really big moment for the sport, and Fingers
07:21 Cross Scotland can do well. They've already got one victory on the board from their Six Nations
07:25 campaign. And the Edinburgh Rugby are in European Challenge Cup action this weekend, although their
07:32 European match takes place in Durban. That's Durban, South Africa. They play the Sharks, who
07:38 do compete in this tournament. Difficult match for Edinburgh against a good team, but they go
07:44 there with confidence after winning against the French side, Bayonne, last weekend. And closer to
07:50 home, Melrose Sevens is on this weekend as well. So you're not going to starve if you're up in that.
07:57 Let's put it that way. Fantastic. Great sport to look forward to all weekend, and we'll have it
08:03 all covered at scotsman.com, of course. Thanks very much for running through all that, Mark.
08:08 Please keep an eye on scotsman.com throughout the day, where we'll have all the very latest news
08:12 and sport. And if you can, please do subscribe, and then you will be able to read absolutely
08:19 everything. If you're out and about today, please do pick up a copy of the paper from me and from
08:24 Mark. It's bye for now.
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