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Macdermott, pictured winning the 2024 Scottish Grand National, was one of this year’s fatalities - PA/Robert Perry
The unwanted spotlight again fell on jump racing after two horses were fatally injured in the Scottish Grand National.
In the week Celebre D’Allen died 48 hours after running in the Aintree Grand National, yesterday’s casualties in the Ayr marathon were Macdermott – who was pulled up after the 10th fence before halfway – and The Kniphand, who had been contesting the lead but fell heavily at the second last.
Macdermott was last year’s winner and trained by Willie Mullins, who won this race when Harry Cobden, an oasis of calm among the mayhem, guided home the 9-1 shot Captain Cody.
Captain Cody beat stablemate Klarc Kent by a length which not only gave Mullins a 1-2 in the race a week after saddling the first three at Aintree but took him to within £25,000 of Dan Skelton in the British trainers’ title race.
The race was considerably more dramatic than Aintree’s a week ago with just eight of the 23 starters completing the course with several horses brought down in the tightly packed field. Cobden avoided several trouble spots and appeared unduly worried that he was four lengths down at the last but was already easing down the winner before he had passed the runner-up.
Skelton’s best chance of getting a dividend out of the race to prop up his lead – extended to £177,000 after the first couple of races – went when Sail Away was brought down at the first and his other runner, Snipe, did not get much further falling before a circuit was out.
“What a ride,” said Mullins of Cobden who was just having his second ride for the trainer. “Was he last or second last over the first? I thought ‘oh Captain Cody’s out with the washing’ but four miles later he was travelling strongly.
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Captain Cody, ridden by Harry Cobden, wins the Scottish Grand National - PA/Jane Barlow
“My instructions to Harry were to put on his best female voice because he only goes for Jody Townend [riding at Bellewstown] and whatever voice he did, it worked. This has put us back in the title race but there’s a long way to go yet.”
The bookmakers were not seeing it quite so pessimistically, making Mullins 1-8 to retain it and Skelton 9-2.
Meanwhile Newbury’s Guineas trials threw up a couple of lively outsiders for Newmarket; the Andrew Balding trained Jonquil who took the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes and Archie Watson’s filly Duty First who took apart a big field assembled for the Dubai Duty Free Stakes.
Last year Jonquil made such a good impression on debut for Sir Michael Stoute he looked like would be the colt to pack him off into retirement on a high but he blew out on his next start and was put away before being sent to Balding.
Yesterday he always looked in control of the Greenham, duly fulfilling his early promise to come home a length and a half in front of Rashabar, last year’s Coventry winner and generally considered the benchmark in the race.
Winning jockey Oisin Murphy said: “Ryan [Moore] liked him last year. He’s a very fast horse and if he gets a mile it’s going to be exciting. You saw a good horse there.”
Watson has done a lot in a short time but he is yet to win a Classic. However Duty First, a 33-1 shot yesterday, ran out a 3½-length winner of the Dubai Duty Free in a quicker time than the Greenham under Hollie Doyle to earn a quote of 25-1 for the 1,000 Guineas. She will likely be supplemented for the 1,000 Guineas.
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