Sam Waley-Cohen

The amateur jockey wrapped up a fairytale final race steering home the 50/1 outsider Noble Yeats ahead of a strong challenge from 15/2 favourite Any Second ...

There's a lot of love and gratefulness, it's getting on the right horses and getting the luck. Talking to ITV Racing after the race, Waley-Cohen said: "It's a dream. "I think any horse on its day can rise to the occasion.

AMATEUR RIDER SAM Waley-Cohen enjoyed a fairytale finale to his career as steered Noble Yeats to victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

“He loves seeing his fences, so I kept trying to find a spot where he could see them. It’s been a love affair. “Dad has always supported me unwaveringly, we’ve never had a cross word, it’s always been for fun. I found myself on the inner and was going more forward than I wanted to. I'm trying to be gracious in defeat." Last year’s winner Minella Times, for the successful Rachael Blackmore-Henry de Bromhead partnership, was an early faller.

Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen won the Grand National 2022 at Aintree on Noble Yeats in a fairytale farewell for the 39-year-old.

It's been wonderful, I've had some incredible days, more than I could ever have hoped to imagine.” “I'm lucky to have a ride on Saturday and that's what's kept me going year after year, trying to turn up at Aintree and compete in the big races and the Grand National is the biggest of them all.” “I've had such an amazing time.

Sent off at 50-1, few would've expected Emmet Mullins' charge to strike in Aintree.

We’d gone up to Wetherby for a hunter chase and we saw Noble Yeats run, and thought, ‘that’s an interesting one, and he’s qualified for the National now - I wonder if they might be interested in doing something’. Let’s have a crack at it’, and one thing led to another. “I’ve only really sat on him three times - once at Emmett’s, once at Cheltenham and once today. “There’s a lot of love and gratefulness.” The closer we got to it, everyone else seemed to be talking up their chances and we went cold.” “Mark (Walsh) said he missed the break but jumped and travelled well. I thought a seven-year-old could win, because not many seven-year-olds run in it, so there aren’t many stats, but you can talk yourself into anything when you’re sitting on a seven-year-old. However Mullins proved a saviour for the layers on Saturday. “It’s a dream. It’s a dream.” Noble Yeats proved too strong for the 15-2 favourite Any Second Now in the closing stages with an Irish one-two-three completed by Delta Work in third. Last year’s winner Minella Times and Rachael Blackmore were casualties, falling at the ninth fence, Valentines, on the first circuit.

Noble Yeats (50/1) beats Any Second Now, Delta Work and Santini to win 2022 Grand National at Aintree on jockey Sam Waley-Cohens final career ride; ...

"Mark (Walsh, jockey) said he missed the break but that he jumped and travelled well. 1 - Noble Yeats (E Mullins) - 50/1 "We were probably more confident a month ago. You can't go round without the horse but the horse can't get round without the jockey. Asked what he thought as he approached the line, Waley-Cohen said: "I've gone too early! The winning rider said: "He ran for me!

Noble Yeats sprung a 50/1 shock in the Grand National to give jockey Sam Waley-Cohen a fairytale send-off on the final ride of his career.

It’s getting on the right horses and getting the luck. “Over 23 years and never a cross word, never been anything but a dream. It’s been a love affair.

Sam Waley-Cohen won the Randox Grand National at Aintree on his final ride before retirement after steering 50-1 shot Noble Yeats to victory.

"You need a lot of luck and you need to be on the right horses," he said. You need a lot of luck – and maybe he was lady luck today." The form was there – and that last circuit, everything just seemed to fall into place." I thought Thursday was going to be that high but it doesn't get better than this, so I'm out, done!" "This a big family day and Thomas is part of it but obviously he isn't with here with us," said Sam, who rode with his brother's initials on his saddle. Sam Waley-Cohen, the owner of a large dental business, could confirm that. "I've also been able to ride a lot more over these fences than most of the other jockeys and experience does help. "This doesn't feel real," said the winning rider amidst a flurry of congratulations, which via Twitter even came from royalty in the guise of his friends the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. "This could be a moment I wake up from," he added. "We've had so many wonderful, happy days together – the Gold Cup, two King Georges, the Becher Chase, two Tophams, the Whitbread – the list goes on and on. In years gone by they had finished second, fourth, fifth and eighth, but it was with the help of a 50-1 novice chaser and the outrageously talented Emmet Mullins that the world's most famous steeplechase was finally won. The former Cheltenham chairman's latest shopping trip proved inspired, for Noble Yeats proved more than equal to this supreme test, gamely holding off last year's third Any Second Now after the two Irish stayers fought out a protracted duel through the closing stages. The seventh came on an animal who made his debut over fences only in October, having run in a bumper as recently as 14 months ago.

Sam Waley-Cohen, 39, a pal of William and Kate, steered Noble Yeats to victory in his farewell ride in the world's most famous steeplechase, and dedicated ...

He continued: "Dad has always supported me unwaveringly, we've never had a cross word, it's always been for fun. “I'm lucky to have a ride on Saturday and that's what's kept me going year after year, trying to turn up at Aintree and compete in the big races and the Grand National is the biggest of them all.” It's been a love affair. “I've had such an amazing time. “We gave the trophy for the Foxhunters' in memory of my brother and it's a course I've had so much fun at, it felt like the right moment,” he said. I'm 40 this year and I couldn't have imagined the days I've had and I'd love to do it at Aintree. The course has been so special to me, so it felt like this was the right moment.”

GRAND NATIONAL winner Sam Waley-Cohen paid an emotional tribute to his brother Thomas, who died from cancer aged 20.Amateur Waley-Cohen, 39, stormed t.

It's a fairy tale, it's a fantasy. GRAND NATIONAL winner Sam Waley-Cohen paid an emotional tribute to his brother Thomas, who died from cancer aged 20. Grand National winner Sam Waley-Cohen pays emotional tribute to tragic brother Thomas who died from cancer aged 20

KATE Middleton's pal and amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen won the Grand National in his last EVER race on shock 50-1 outsider Noble Yeats.In a pulsating.

Free bets will be awarded after the qualifying bet has been settled and are valid for 30 days. odds 1.5 (1/2) — get £/€10 in free bets. "I've had such an amazing time. Place a £/€10 bet on Sportsbook (April 6 - 10), at min. "It's fabulous. I'm really emotional." Dad Robert said: "It is absolutely a dream. Full of love and happiness and I'm so grateful." Sam said after his thrilling victory: "It's a dream. Sorry I can't speak, it means too much. "It is beyond words. It's my last ever ride.

Amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen enjoyed a fairytale finale to his career as steered Noble Yeats to victory in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

His winning ride aboard Noble Yeats in the Randox Grand National was his final one. We profile the remarkable Sam Waley-Cohen.

Waley-Cohen had completed the Grand National course five times from nine attempts in the big race itself before now. He also twice won the King George VI Chase at Kempton aboard the same horse. We profile the remarkable Sam Waley-Cohen.

Sam Waley-Cohen won the Randox Grand National at Aintree on his final ride before retirement after steering 50-1 shot Noble Yeats to victory.

"You need a lot of luck and you need to be on the right horses," he said. You need a lot of luck – and maybe he was lady luck today." The form was there – and that last circuit, everything just seemed to fall into place." I thought Thursday was going to be that high but it doesn't get better than this, so I'm out, done!" "This a big family day and Thomas is part of it but obviously he isn't with here with us," said Sam, who rode with his brother's initials on his saddle. Sam Waley-Cohen, the owner of a large dental business, could confirm that. "I've also been able to ride a lot more over these fences than most of the other jockeys and experience does help. "This doesn't feel real," said the winning rider amidst a flurry of congratulations, which via Twitter even came from royalty in the guise of his friends the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. "This could be a moment I wake up from," he added. "We've had so many wonderful, happy days together – the Gold Cup, two King Georges, the Becher Chase, two Tophams, the Whitbread – the list goes on and on. In years gone by they had finished second, fourth, fifth and eighth, but it was with the help of a 50-1 novice chaser and the outrageously talented Emmet Mullins that the world's most famous steeplechase was finally won. The former Cheltenham chairman's latest shopping trip proved inspired, for Noble Yeats proved more than equal to this supreme test, gamely holding off last year's third Any Second Now after the two Irish stayers fought out a protracted duel through the closing stages. The seventh came on an animal who made his debut over fences only in October, having run in a bumper as recently as 14 months ago.

Sam Waley-Cohen, the amateur jockey with a dentistry business, was once the go-between who helped the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's relationship.

“I’ve said for ages that if I won the Grand National I would retire there and then. “When you lose somebody you love, you realise you should make the most of life,” he said. But the National was to provide even greater riches. But the 39-year-old summoned a ride of patience and poise to steer Noble Yeats gradually into the race before striking for home one fence from the finish to eclipse the 15-2 favourite, Any Second Now, by two lengths. It has become an iron law of the Grand National that horses seven and under don’t win. Such is the enduring lure of the Grand National that one in four adults in Britain placed a bet on this race, prospecting for gold in a minefield of a 40-runner handicap.

Read what the 39-year-old amateur had to say after realising a lifetime ambition aboard Noble Yeats in the Randox Grand National.

Sam Waley-Cohen, who was riding in his final race before retirement, booted home 50-1 shot Noble Yeats (Ire) (Yeats {Ire}) to a 2 1/4-length victory in the ...

But when I really asked him he kept finding and galloped all the way to the line. As a jockey your race isn't run until your horse is safe so that was my main thought–then get weighed in and go and enjoy it! “I was just trying to get him in that nice rhythm and as soon as I asked him, he went. He added, “I have to thank so many people. “He loves seeing his fences, so I kept trying to find a spot where he could see them. “Dad has always supported me unwaveringly, we've never had a cross word, it's always been for fun.