Sam Waley-Cohen bows out with Grand National victory on Noble Yeats
Leading amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen ended his racing career in style by winning the 2022 Grand National on Noble Yeats.
Sam Waley-Cohen, who owns a chain of dental practices, 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 Now. Delta Work (10/1) was third, Santini (33/1) in fourth, Fiddlerontheroof (12/1) fifth and Longhouse Poet (12/1) sixth.
Previously Waley-Cohen, who will be 40 this year, enjoyed his greatest moment in the saddle on board the Nicky Henderson-trained Long Run, owned by his father Robert Waley-Cohen.
Though he has always continued his work in the dental industry, Waley-Cohen has never been far from the racetrack and has won all the races around Aintree's big fences and has now claimed the biggest prize of all on the seven-year-old Noble Yeats, trained by Emmet Mullins.
HIS. LAST. EVER. RIDE. 😮
— Aintree Racecourse (@AintreeRaces) April 9, 2022
Sam Waley Cohen wins the @RandoxHealth Grand National on NOBLE YEATS! #RandoxGrandNational pic.twitter.com/uYAMvjjCnK
Speaking before the race, exclusively to Planet Sport, Waley-Cohen said:
"I know no seven-year-old has done it for ages but then not many of them have run in recent times.
"We hope he can rise to the occasion. He jumps well and has quite a lot of those things you'd want in a horse round here. He's about 33/1 too and that's fine. I know there are better fancied runners.
"I think any horse on its day can rise to the occasion. There's no reason to believe that Noble Yeats can't rise to the occasion but it's a big ask so we'll see."