The 2025 Scottish Grand National was run, as usual, over four miles and 25 fences at Ayr Racecourse on April 12, 2025. In fact, the third-last fence was omitted on the final two circuits after Snipe, trained by Dan Skelton, fell on the first circuit and his jockey, 7lb claimer Harry Atkins, was knocked unconscious. Indeed, the race as a whole was an eventful affair, in which just eight of the 23 starters completed the course and two horses, the 2024 winner, Macdermott, who was pulled up before halfway, and The Kniphand, who fell two out, were fatally injured.
The outcome of the race was overshadowed by tragic events, but it did, nonetheless, have an air of history repeating itself. In 2024, trainer Willie Mullins completed the Grand National/Scottish Grand National double with I Am Maximus and the ill-fated Macdermott and, in 2025, fared even better, following up a memorable 1-2-3 at Aintree with a timely 1-2 at Ayr just a week later.
Mulllins, who was in contention to win the British National Hunt trainers’ title for the second year running, saddled six runners, as he had done in 2024, including the favourite, Olympic Man, ridden by his son Patrick. Olympic Man made the running until five fences from home, but was already weakening when hampered by a faller two out, while other well-fancied casualties included Surrey Quest and Sail Away, who fell and unseated rider at the very first fence, and Spanish Harlem, who was carried out late on the second circuit.
When push came to shove, it was left to Captain Cody, ridden by Harry Cobden, and Klarc Kent, ridden by Jonathan Burke, to fight out the finish. The latter, who was racing from 2lb out of the handicap, but nevertheless receiving 16lb from his better-fancied stable companion, flew the final fence and was soon three lengths ahead. However, Cobden, who was having just his second ride for the yard, produced Captain Cody with a well-timed run to lead close home and win, cosily, by a length. Our Power finished third, 10 lengths behind the front pair, with Grozni fourth, a further two-and-a-quarter lengths away.