Pure poetry as Sam wins National on Noble Yeats
Amateur rider Sam Waleycohen enjoyed a fairytale finale to his career as he steered Noble Yeats to victory in yesterday’s Randox Grand National at Aintree.
The 39-year-old announced his intention to retire on Thursday, nominating Emmet Mullins’ charge as his farewell ride in the world’s most famous steeplechase.
Sent off at 50-1, few would have expected Noble Yeats to strike in the extended four-and-a-quartermile showpiece – but he ran a magnificent race as he fended off the 15-2 favourite Any Second Now for a famous National success.
Coming to the last they were the only pair in contention and under a strong drive, Noble Yeats kept finding more to prevail in the colours of Waley-cohen’s father, Robert. Delta Work (10-1) was third with Santini (33-1) in fourth.
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. It was a long-term plan and it seems to have come off in the end somehow, I don’t know how!
“We were probably more confident a month ago.
“The closer we got to it, everyone else seemed to be talking up their chances and we went cold.
“The form behind Ahoy Senor, a Grade One winner yesterday, that was a great run at Wetherby and the performance there gave us confidence.”
■ Punters waited for two-and-ahalf hours last night to be paid out Grand National winnings, after Britain’s biggest bookie Bet365 crashed online.
There would only be trickles of cash for the stunning 50/1 winner Noble Yeats. But there would be millions of wagers needing settled, for the fancied second and third horses, Any Second Now and Delta Work.
Making the logjam even more massive was their offer of punters being paid out for the first six home in yesterday’s marathon.
The Stoke bookie also paid punters a 50% discount on bets. As soon as single bets were placed, half the stake was returned.
Two hours, 15 minutes after amateur Sam Waley-cohen weighed in, at the end of his spectacular final ride, punters finally had confirmation of returns.
And aside from noting the shock winner’s triumph, the beleaguered bookie’s Twitter and Facebook pages had no updates.