Harry Cobden gave Captain Cody a superb ride to lead home a Willie Mullins one-two in the Coral Scottish Grand National.
The British jockey stepped in to replace Jody Townend aboard the 9/1 chance and sat motionless for much of the contest.
Even when stable-companion and eventual second Klark Kent was three lengths clear soon after the last, the chaser had him covered, picking up under hand and heels riding to win by a length.
Our Power (33/1) ran well in third.
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The winning trainer was full of praise for Coben, telling ITV: "What a ride. He was so far back. He was the first horse I saw when I got up the top and I thought 'ooh Captain Cody is out with the washing' but four miles later he was travelling, really travelling. My instructions to Harry were to put on his best female voice as this horse only goes for Jody, he can't win for Paul (Townend) or whoever. It worked, whatever voice he did!"
The one-two carried Mullins to within touching distance of Dan Skelton in the trainers' title race after a frustrating afternoon up to that point.
"This put us back in the game again but there's a long way to go but at least we're back in. I thought going home this evening it was over unless we won everything at Sandown but that doesn't happen. We just didn't have the luck today but it all came in the right race," he added.
Cobden said: "I told Willie I could do the voice, that wouldn't be a problem! Look, he's a gentleman, he didn't really give me any instructions, thanks to the whole team Ruby (Walsh), David Casey, Willie and the owners for letting me ride him.
"I actually followed him in Cheltenham before he unseated Danny at the second last with a circuit to go and thought he ran too free. It's easy in a race like this to get into the scrum at a very early stage but I dropped him in. He jumped beautifully and I got there very easily turning in. I was just trying to restrain him. We got into a lovely rhythm, popped the last and away he went. It was great.
"It was brilliant, that's what happens when you get a free hand to do what you want."
There was a tragic postscript to the race with last year's winner Macdermott and The Kniphand both sustaining fatal injuries.
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