The sort of thing that only happens in fairytales – amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen has steered Noble Yeats to Grand National victory in his final race before retirement.
It’s the perfect end to his career as the 39-year-old announced his intention to step down from the sport on Thursday, nominating Emmet Mullins’ charge as his farewell ride in the world’s most famous steeplechase.
An unlikely victor, he was sent off at 50-1 with few expecting Noble Yeats to strike in the extended four-and-a-quarter-mile showpiece – but he ran a magnificent race as he fended off the 15-2 favourite Any Second Now for a famous National success.
READ MORE: The Grand National: Runners & riders stats through history
Sam Waley-Cohen: “As soon as I asked him, he went”
A jubilant Waley-Cohen – who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Long Run in 2011 – said: “He ran for me, he couldn’t go the early pace and I just tried to find pockets to give him a bit of space to run into. I found myself on the inner and was going more forward than I wanted to.
“He loves seeing his fences, so I kept trying to find a spot where he could see them. When I asked him he came, but if I just half-asked him he wasn’t confident, so I was trying to sit against him – he likes the bit in his mouth and your legs against him.
“I was just trying to get him in that nice rhythm and as soon as I asked him, he went.
“I thought I’d gone too early (at the last). I really didn’t want to get there then, but as soon as he picked up I thought ‘he’s gone, he’s got this’.
“Dad has always supported me unwaveringly, we’ve never had a cross word, it’s always been for fun. It’s been a love affair. To my wife, long-suffering, they aren’t all good days, there are bad days in this sport.
“We came here thinking the sun’s out, it’s your last ride – go and have a nice spin, no expectations. Just enjoy it.
“It’s a dream. I couldn’t believe it.”
READ MORE: Grand National 2022: Solwara One dies following injury at Aintree
The Grand National full results
Here is the finishing order of the 15 runners who finished the race from the original 40 horses.
1st Noble Yeats
2nd Any Second Now
3rd Delta Work
4th Santini
5th Fiddlerontheroof
6th Longhouse Poet
7th Freewheelin Dylan
8th Coko Beach
9tt Escaria Ten
10th Romain De Senam
11th Samcro
12th Commodore
13th Class Conti
14th Blaklion
15th Lostintranslation
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