Randox Grand National
Grade 3 Handicap,
Aintree 17:15
£1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1   
Saturday 9th April 2022

1 Noble Yeats 50/1
2 Any Second Now 15/2F
3 Delta Work 10/1
4 Santini 33/1
5 Fiddlerontheroof 12/1
6 Longhouse Poet 12/1
7 Freewheelin Dylan 50/1
40 ran Distances: 2¼l, 20l, 1¼l
Time: 9m 3.06s (fast by 0.94s)

It was the perfect fairytale ending for Waley-Cohen who ended his racing career by winning the iconic Randox Grand National. The amateur jockey who turns 40 on April 15th won’t have a better present than this.

Waley Cohen took gold riding Noble Yeats, returned at 50-1, he defeated 15-2 Favourite Any Second Now by two and a quarter lengths with Delta Work third and Santini fourth.  

He’s proven to be a rarity in elite sport as an amateur amongst professionals, winning the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run and boasting a fabulous record over Aintree’s Grand National course. And now the Randox Grand National - the only amateur to do so. 

Speaking on his iconic win he said: “This is beyond words. It's a fairytale, it's a fantasy, and I’m just full of love, and happiness and gratefulness.I always wanted to go out on a high, and I thought Thursday was going to be that high. It doesn’t get better than this, and that’s it now - out!” 

Waley-Cohen reflected on his success at Aintree over the years, and also paid tribute to his late brother, Thomas. Summing up his success he said: “Being on the right horses, getting the luck, having the sun out. I do think Thomas is sitting on my back, I ride with his name on my saddle. These days are family days. Honestly, you couldn't make it up could you?”

And he was full of praise for his father, Robert Waley-Cohen who owns Noble Yeats. And his father returned the praise. 

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Robert Waley-Cohen, told ITV Racing “It’s absolutely a dream come true – I can’t speak, I’ve shouted too much! Just fabulous. You can’t g:o without the horse, but the horse can’t go without the jockey, so it’s a team and thank God it’s really worked. My cup runneth over.” 

Asked to sum up his son’s talent, he said: “Dedication, hard work. He only rides about 30 races, apart from point-to-points, in the year, and his record is unspeakably good. I’m really emotional. 

“It’s fantastic, that is what we dreamed about for years. Sam used to ride a rocking horse, pretending he was riding Auntie Dot. That’s how far back it goes.”  

Waley-Cohen reflected on his success at Aintree over the years, and also paid tribute to his late brother, Thomas. Summing up his success he said: “Being on the right horses, getting the luck, having the sun out. I do think Thomas is sitting on my back, I ride with his name on my saddle. These days are family days. Honestly, you couldn't make it up could you?”

The winning jockey completed the Grand National course six times from ten attempts in the big race itself, placing on three occasions and he revealed that it was his ride on Jett in last year’s race which persuaded him to hold back on a retirement which he had been considering for some time. 

And he now becomes the first amateur to succeed since Marcus Armytage won on Mr Frisk in 1990. He is also the first amateur jockey to ride the winner of the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run in 2011.  

Waley-Cohen boasts a formidable record in races run over the Grand National fences, having also won the Foxhunters’ Chase (Katarino 2004 & 2005, Warne 2014), Topham Chase (Liberthine 2006, Rajdhani Express 2015), Becher Chase (Oscar Time 2014). 

A seven year old, Noble Yeats becomes the first horse from that age group to prevail since Bogskar in 1940. Seven is currently the minimum age for a horse to run in the Grand National.  

Trainers Quotes

The winner was trained by Emmet Mullins and was his first Grand National runner. Mullins is the nephew of leading Irish Jump trainer Willie Mullins and began training in 2016. He is based in Bagenalstown, County Carlow.

Before his last and winning ride, he said: “The Grand National and the fences have been a bit of a love affair for me, I love the people of Liverpool and the atmosphere here and I get such a kick out of riding the fences. 

“My boyhood fantasy really was to ride in the Grand National, which was an impossible dream for an amateur. One of my earliest memories is pretending to ride in the National so to actually ride in it and to have the chance to line up and say goodbye to everyone at the course I love is certainly fulfilling that dream.” 

QuinnBet

Randox Health Grand National
Grade 3, £1,000,000 guaranteed
7yo plus, 4m 2f 74y, Class 1
40 ran
Going: Good to Soft

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1     Noble Yeats 7 10-10 Emmet Mullins Mr Sam Waley-Cohen 50/1
2 2¼ Any Second Now 10 11-8 T M Walsh Mark Walsh 15/2F
3 20 Delta Work 9 11-9 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 10/1
4 1¼ Santini 10 11-2 Polly Gundry Nick Scholfield 33/1
5 8 Fiddlerontheroof 8 11-4 Colin Tizzard Brendan Powell 12/1
6 2¼ Longhouse Poet 8 11-4 Martin Brassil Darragh O'Keeffe 12/1
7 19 Freewheelin Dylan 10 10-10 Dermot A McLoughlin Ricky Doyle 50/1
8 13 Coko Beach 7 10-13 Gordon Elliott Sean Flanagan 50/1
9 9½ Escaria Ten 8 11-1 Gordon Elliott A P Heskin 25/1
10 18 Romain De Senam 10 10-5 David Pipe Philip Armson 125/1
11 8½ Samcro 10 11-1 Gordon Elliott Sean Bowen 80/1
12 18 Commodore 10 10-5 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 33/1
13 12 Class Conti 10 10-10 W P Mullins Sam Twiston-Davies 100/1
14 33 Blaklion 13 10-8 Dan Skelton Harry Skelton 50/1
15 99 Lostintranslation 10 11-6 Colin Tizzard Harry Cobden 50/1
BD Anibale Fly 12 10-11 A J Martin L P Dempsey 80/1
FELL Death Duty 11 10-7 Gordon Elliott Jordan Gainford 33/1
FELL Kildisart 10 10-11 Ben Pauling James Bowen 40/1
FELL Burrows Saint 9 11-5 W P Mullins Paul Townend 33/1
FELL De Rasher Counter 10 10-12 Emma Lavelle Adam Wedge 80/1
FELL Minella Times 9 11-10 Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore 9/1
FELL Agusta Gold 9 10-9 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 66/1
FELL Run Wild Fred 8 11-7 Gordon Elliott Davy Russell 8/1
FELL Mount Ida 22 8 11-5 Gordon Elliott Denis O'Regan 66/1
FELL Domaine De L'Isle 9 10-7 Sean Curran Harry Bannister 125/1
FELL Eclair Surf 8 10-6 Emma Lavelle Tom Bellamy 14/1
FELL Enjoy D'Allen 8 10-11 Ciaran Murphy Conor Orr 20/1
PU Brahma Bull 11 11-6 W P Mullins Brian Hayes 80/1
PU Poker Party 10 10-8 Henry De Bromhead Robbie Power 80/1
PU Snow Leopardess 10 10-9 Charlie Longsdon Aidan Coleman 10/1
PU Top Ville Ben 10 10-11 Philip Kirby Thomas Dowson 80/1
PU Discorama 9 10-11 Paul Nolan B J Cooper 33/1
PU Cloth Cap 10 10-10 Jonjo O'Neill Tom Scudamore 33/1
PU Good Boy Bobby 9 10-13 Nigel Twiston-Davies Daryl Jacob 25/1
PU Mighty Thunder 9 10-10 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 40/1
PU Deise Aba 9 10-8 Philip Hobbs Tom O'Brien 100/1
PU School Boy Hours 9 10-5 Noel Meade Sean Flanagan 33/1
PU Two For Gold 9 11-3 Kim Bailey David Bass 33/1
UR Dingo Dollar 10 10-11 Sandy Thomson Ryan Mania 25/1
UR Fortescue 8 10-6 Henry Daly Hugh Nugent 28/1

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