Deaths of Macdermott and The Kniphand overshadow Scottish Grand National (2025)

Last year’s winner, Macdermott, was one of two fatalities in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr, casting a shadow over the triumph of his stablemate Captain Cody.

Sent off at 16-1 in his bid to repeat his win of 12 months ago, the Willie Mullins-trained Macdermott was once again ridden by Danny Mullins, but was pulled up sharply before the 10th fence. In an incident-packed race with eight finishers from 23 runners, Nigel Twiston‑Davies’s The Kniphand fell at the second-last and, like Macdermott, suffered a fatalinjury.

While the jockeys in the four‑mile marathon were mostly unscathed, Harry Atkins, the rider of Snipe who came down at the seventh, was stood down having been knocked unconscious.

The clerk of the course, Graeme Anderson, said: “All the jockeys are OK. Harry Atkins was stood down because he was knocked out, but everybody else is up and OK. Unfortunately, there were two equine fatalities, The Kniphand andMacdermott.”

The winner benefited from an ultra-patient ride by Harry Cobden to lead home a one-two for the stable. For much of the straight it appeared as if his stablemate, Klarc Kent, would be the one to provide Mullins – who had the first three in last week’s Grand National at Aintree – with back-to-back successes in the marathon chase, but Cobden was smuggling his mount into the race.

On just his second ride for the champion trainer, Cobden exuded confidence and despite getting close to the last, the seven-year‑old Captain Cody (9-1) quickened smartly to win cosily at the line. Our Power was third.

By saddling the first two, Mullins was taking a giant stride towards retaining his British trainers’ championship. In what proved an action-packed affair, Mullins’s title rival, Dan Skelton, saw his two runners inadvertently taken out in the early stages. Sail Away was brought down at the first by last year’s runner-up, Surrey Quest, while Snipe was brought down a couple of fences later.

As the field thinned out on the final circuit, a group of eight began to pull clear with Our Power, Rock My Way and Grozni all involved. Klarc Kent made a bold bid under Jonathan Burke, but Cobden was always sitting pretty and despite getting tight to the last, he got up to win by a length.

Cobden said: “I just wanted to get settled and creep into the race. I followed him at Cheltenham [the National Hunt Chase] and he probably unshipped Danny Mullins because he was going so well.

“It couldn’t have gone any better and when you are riding for Willie Mullins it is easy. That’s just my second ride for Willie, I was one of the 11 in the Triumph. My onlyinstruction was that he went well for a girl so I said I’d try to dothat.”

Mullins, like Cobden speaking before news of Macdermott’s death, said: “I gave Harry one instruction. This horse only wins for Jody Townend, Paul’s sister, and when Paul gets on it doesn’t particularly work well. So I said to Harry ‘to put on your best ladies’ voice.’ He’s Ms Harry Cobden now.

“I looked up over the first or second fence and he was last or nearly last, but Harry gave him a very cool ride.”

Reflecting on the title, Mullins thinks he faces a tall order. He said: “Dan won’t be standing still so he’ll probably win it.”