Grand National 2022: No turning back for Sam Waley-Cohen

Sam Waley-Cohen won't reverse his decision to retire from the saddle after winning the Randox Grand National aboard 50-1 shot Noble Yeats at at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday.

But the 39-year-old admits it may “feel like a girlfriend going off with someone else” when he sees Noble Yeats back on the track with another jockey in the saddle.

Waley-Cohen landed a seventh victory over the big Aintree fences but a first in the world's greatest steeplechase when he partnered the Emmet Mullins-trained seven-year-old to a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over 15-2 favourite Any Second Now over the weekend.

The amateur rider's day job is owning dental firm Portman Healthcare which he formed in 2008 and remains its CEO.

Noble Yeats gives Sam Waley-Cohen the perfect send-off

And having landed so much success at Aintree as a jockey as well at the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup and 2012 King George VI Chase aboard Long Run, victory in the Grand National was the perfect end to a sparkling career in racing.

Waley-Cohen has been helped in his sporting achievements by his father Robert Waley-Cohen, who has owned all his partners in glory and Noble Yeats also sported his famous brown and oragne colours in his victory on Merseyside.

It has been a real family affair during his time in the saddle and the Waley-Cohens flew to Ireland yesterday to see Noble Yeats and County Carlow trainer Emmet Mullins, who was winning the race with his first ever runner.

Speaking to The Jockey Club yesterday, Waley-Cohen said: “I’ll 100% be back to work on Monday! Life keeps moving and one of the things that I’ve learned is things like these are incredible highs and you’ve got to have a steady reintroduction back into life, otherwise the down is too severe, so