Cobden hails Mullins after Captain sails home at Ayr

HARRY COBDEN admits it's easy riding for Willie Mullins as he ignored the fancy photos to soar to Scottish Grand National glory aboard Captain Cody,

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Stable No.1 for Paul Nicholls, the reigning champion jockey was able to pick up a spare ride for the Irish ace with his gaffer having no runner in the race.

Mullins laughed when he said his only instructions to Cobden were to put on a female voice as the horse performs so well for regular pilot Jody Townend.

But she stayed in Ireland to take a ride in her own title fight handing the winner only his second-ever mount for the Closutton genius.

It went perfectly as the pair bagged the big prize and Cobden said: "I wanted to go wide to let him see his fences and it's better going wide and into a rhythm than in the middle and into a scrum of it.

"He had momentum so it couldn't have gone any better on the way around and when you are riding for Willie Mullins it's easy, isn't it?

"I've had two rides for him. One of the 11 at Cheltenham in the Triumph Hurdle and one of the six here, so it's great. To get spares for a trainer like him is unbelievable and you want to be riding for all those top men.

"He asked my opinion, just nodded. He said in the beginning he goes well for a girl and I said I could try and do that! Look, he leaves it to the jockey, which is great.

"I had completions [in the Scottish National] but no serious horses knocking on the door. So first proper ride in the race here.