Willie Mullins secures stunning 1-2 at Scottish Grand National with Captain Cody and Klarc Kent to close in on trainer’s crown

How appropriate that a horse called Klarc Kent should feature in a finish that took racing’s Superman to the cusp of a new frontier.

Willie Mullins had arrived at Ayr knowing he needed things to fall perfectly for him in the Coral Scottish National to stand any chance of retaining the British Trainers’ Championship he won 12 months ago, but not for a second did he expect it.

How could he? Mullins had brought a battalion over from his Carlow base to try to torpedo Dan Skelton’s ambitions, but his first seven runners on the card had amassed just £5,292 and never threatened at any stage to win.

Then Mullins did his equivalent of stepping into a phone box to save the day. He saddled six in the big race and, seven days on from his incredible 1-2-3 at Aintree, he saw Captain Cody and Klarc Kent finish first and second, with favourite Olympic Man taking seventh. Prize money: £156,260.

Mullins, astonishingly, was 60th in the table on February 26 with just £178,860 in his kitty. Skelton, at that stage, looked as if he had matters in hand with more than £2million in the bank, but now here they are, with 13 days of the campaign to go, separated by just over £7,500.

‘It’s on,’ Mullins declared. ‘This has put us back in the game, but there is a long way to go yet. Dan won’t be standing still.’

Captain Cody (pictured) claimed first, Klarc Kent took second in Coral Scottish National

The £156,260 win reignited Willie Mullins’ chances in the  British Trainers’ Championship.

Jockey Harry Cobden (centre) and trainer Mullins (right) celebrate with their trophies

Captain Cody had never won a race over fences before and never previously been successful for any jockey other than Jody Townend, sister of Irish champion, Paul. But Harry Cobden produced what might just be the ride of the season to put the gelding’s head in front where it mattered. 

‘He was last going over the first fence,’ Mullins gasped. ‘I thought to myself: “Oh, he’s out with the washing”. Then, four miles later, he was really travelling. My instructions to Harry were to put on his best female voice because he only usually runs well for Jody! Whatever voice he put on, it worked!’ 

Skelton looked like he had seen a ghost at Aintree when Mullins had five of the first seven home and it was just as bad here, after his Sail Away was brought down at the first. His other runner, Snipe, failed to finish what was a brutal race and, at times, difficult to watch.

Two of the 23 runners suffered fatal injuries — MacDermott, last year’s winner from the Mullins stable, and The Kniphand, who had been saddled by Nigel

Twiston-Davies — while a third, Walking On Air, needed to be assessed by on-course vets after pulling up sharply.

It was a sobering postscript to what had been a quite remarkable conclusion to the National, which remains one of the biggest betting races of the season. Klarc Kent, ridden superbly by Jonathon Burke, looked for much of the home straight like he was going to prevail but then Cobden appeared.

Nothing fazes Cobden, whose only previous ride for Mullins was in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, but this was coolness personified, a masterpiece in timing. Such was his confidence that he had won, he began celebrating 75 yards before the line.

‘He travelled very easily and I was trying to restrain him for most of it,’ said Cobden. ‘I got him into a lovely rhythm, he popped the last and away he went. It was brilliant! It couldn’t have gone any better. But when you are riding for Willie Mullins it’s easy, isn’t it?’

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