Dental magnate retires from racing after ‘fairy tale’ Grand National win
Dental magnate, Sam Waley-Cohen, has retired from horse racing after a ‘fairy tale’ win in the Grand National.
Mr Waley-Cohen, the owner of Portman Dental Care, bolted up to snatch the coveted prize on 50-1 fancy, Noble Yeats in what he had announced would be his last race. The amateur jockey had always said he would retire on the spot if he won the race but had only managed to get round the famous fences unscathed on previous attempts. The spectacle attracted 70,000 racegoers at Aintree with huge crowds watching on TV in all corners of the globe.
Waley-Cohen started the race as an outsider but was attracting attention due to his impending retirement. His father, Robert, had purchased Noble Yeats in February for Sam to ride in the Grand National. Many hoped that he would cross the line in the orange and brown silks, but few dreamt that it would be in first place.
The race was dramatic from the outset, with several fallers in the first few fences and after a gruelling run, which saw many pull up, the contest came down to two horses, Noble Yeats and the much-fancied favourite, Any Second Now, last year’s third placed contender. The horses ran gallantly, pushing each other to the last few metres, but it was Waley-Cohen and his charge, Noble Yeats who emerged victorious.
In emotional scenes, Mr Waley-Cohen was congratulated by his father and paid tribute to his wife and his brother, who sadly died in 2004. He described the victory as a ‘fairy tale’ and said the story was reminiscent of a film script.
After winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the King George Chase and the Grand National, Waley-Cohen will now step down from the saddle and focus on running his business empire and spending more time with his family.
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