Jockey Sam Waley-Cohen paid an emotional tribute to his younger brother Thomas after winning the Grand National on Noble Yeats in what will be his final race. Thomas tragically passed away in 2004 after an almost decade-long battle with bone cancer.
“I can’t say anything,” Waley-Cohen told ITV Racing after the race. “It’s a dream. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve got to say thank yous, because it’s my last ever ride, to dad, unwavering belief and love.
“Over 23 years, never a cross word, nothing but a dream, it’s been a love affair. To my wife, long-suffering, they aren’t all good days in this sport and she’s always there to support me.
“That is beyond words. It’s a fairytale, it’s a fantasy. Just full of love, happiness and gratefulness.
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“Being on the right horses, getting the luck and 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?”
Waley-Cohen’s father, Robert, was understandably emotional after the race, telling ITV: “It’s a dream come true. Just fabulous. It’s a team and thank God it has really worked. He has so much dedication and puts in so much hard work.”
“For Sam to go out on a win like that, you could not write it,” Mullins told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I was probably more confident a month ago than I was today.
“It is the stuff of dreams. Today was the plan. It is nice when a plan comes together.
“I didn’t get to see much of him early doors but going away from the stands here I took a breath because it was a perfect position. That last circuit everything seemed to fall into place. I don’t know when this will register.”
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