Harry Cobden won the 2025 Scottish Grand National at Ayr on Captain Cody. He is back on Saturday riding Quebecois — another Paul Nicholls runner — for a second consecutive year at the meeting. The defending jockey returning to the same trainer and the same racecourse is one of the most specific positive indicators available in jump racing.
Cobden's 2025 Win
Captain Cody won at 9/1 for Paul Nicholls with Harry Cobden riding. The race was part of a Closutton one-two — Klarc Kent was second — but it was Cobden's tactical ride that made the difference in a competitive field. He has specific knowledge of how Ayr plays over four miles, where to be positioned at each stage and how to judge the final push for home. That knowledge was acquired in a race he won.
Quebecois's Form
Paul Nicholls also has Isaac Des Obeaux in the field — the Midlands Grand National winner. Cobden chose Quebecois over Isaac Des Obeaux, which itself is a form signal. The Racing Post's preview notes Quebecois was a close third in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham — Johnnywho won that race and finished fourth in the Grand National. The form reference from the Ultima is relevant. He was beaten narrowly in a competitive Cheltenham Festival handicap over three miles one furlong.
The step up to four miles on soft ground at Ayr tests stamina that Quebecois has not been asked to produce before. His Cheltenham form — close third in a competitive handicap — suggests he has the class. Whether he has the stamina for an additional mile on soft going is the question his price reflects.
The Nicholls Two-Runner Hand
Paul Nicholls has both Cobden on Quebecois and Sam Twiston-Davies on Isaac Des Obeaux. Cobden's choice of Quebecois over the Midlands National winner is significant. Twiston-Davies rode Isaac Des Obeaux to his Midlands win and retains the ride — that pairing has obvious merit. But Cobden, as an independent choice, preferring Quebecois is worth noting for the each-way market.
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