Ben Linfoot unpicks the result of the 2022 Randox Grand National in his big-race analysis - also check out the full result and replay to find out what happened to your cash.
Randox Grand National 2022: Full Result
1st NOBLE YEATS 50/1
2nd Any Second Now 15/2 fav
3rd Delta Work 10/1
4th Santini 33/1
5th Fiddlerontheroof 12/1
6th Longhouse Poet 12/1
7th Freewheelin Dylan 50/1
8th Coko Beach
9th Escaria Ten
10th Romain De Senam
11th Samcro
12th Commodore
13th Class Conti
14th Blaklion
15th Lostintranslation
Also ran:
Fell: Minella Times, Run Wild Fred, Burrows Saint, Mount Ida, De Rasher Counter, Kildisart, Enjoy D'Allen, Agusta Gold, Death Duty, Domaine De L'Isle, Eclair Surf
Pulled Up: School Boy Hours, Brahma Bull, Two For Gold, Good Boy Bobby, Discorama, Top Ville Ben, Mighty Thunder, Cloth Cap, Snow Leopardess, Deise Aba, Poker Party
Unseated Rider: Dingo Dollar, Fortescue
Brought Down: Anibale Fly
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Analysis
The Randox Grand National delivered once again in the fairytale stakes, retiring amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen winning the race for his father, Robert, on his final ever ride, on NOBLE YEATS, a 50/1 chance.
Purchased by Waley-Cohen senior for his son to ride only in February, he was prepared for this by young Irish handler Emmet Mullins, having his first runner in the National. A shrewd trainer who has already pulled off amazing feats including with The Shunter at the Cheltenham Festival, it won’t be his last.
It was always going to be tough to top Rachael Blackmore becoming the first ever woman jockey to win the Grand National – this time she and her 2021 winner Minella Times departed at Valentine’s – but Waley-Cohen’s story is the next best thing.
Here is an amateur with an incredible record over the National fences.
He had his first go over them in 2003 on a horse called Down, a 66/1 chance, in the Fox Hunters’, but he won that race two years later on his next go over the Aintree spruce, aboard Katarino, the pair teaming up again in 2006 to win the same contest.
A day after Katarino’s second Fox Hunters’ he won the Topham Chase on Liberthine, but it was a bit of a longer wait until his next win over the National fences. Eight years and 11 rides later to be precise – a run that included a second and a fourth in the National itself on Oscar Time - his next win finally coming on Warne in the 2014 Fox Hunters’.
Oscar Time got his reward for persistence in the Becher Chase later that year when Waley-Cohen steered him to victory at 25/1, while he landed the following year’s Topham aboard Rajdhani Express.
That’s some C.V he’s racked up over these famous fences, all pointing towards his crowning moment, his victory aboard Noble Yeats on his final ever ride in the 2022 Grand National.
His Aintree fence record finishes at seven victories from 39 rides at 18%, a staggering strike-rate for any jockey, and he showed all of his nous and experience to navigate a passage through the field to ensure his finest moment in the saddle.
Early on he wasn’t in the perfect position. He was held up towards the rear on the outside and it’s just about the last place you want to be. Waley-Cohen coaxed Noble Yeats into things, though, got him cover, got him amongst it, and gradually made his way to the inside.
It was between Foinavon and the Canal Turn where he began to make his move. After Valentine’s he was three or four horse widths off the inside and he slowly made his way into a more prominent position. By the 13th he was in about eighth tracking Longhouse Poet who had had the perfect sit throughout.
From the first fence to the 13th it was a purposeful, gradual, manoeuvre, and it made all the difference. The energy saved in getting to that inside rail ensured he had enough left in the tank to see off the very game Any Second Now, last year’s unlucky third, who was primed to perfection by Ted Walsh.
He just bumped into a fairytale but ran a stormer, the pair 20 lengths clear of the third, Delta Work, who represented the Tiger Roll form having beaten his stablemate in the Cross Country at the Cheltenham Festival.
Santini sat just off the leaders throughout and jumped really well. When eight with a chance turned into the home straight only Noble Yeats was going better, but Any Second Now and Delta Work outstayed him to ensure the medal positions.
Fiddlerontheroof was in with a chance until he started to weaken before the last, while Longhouse Poet caught the eye for a long way. He took to the fences well, had the perfect prominent position on the inside from an early stage and he just seemed to get outstayed from the final fence.
He did the best of the prominent racers, with other pace pushers Freewheelin Dylan and Coko Beach finishing 19 lengths and 13 lengths behind him in seventh and eighth, respectively, after taking them along for much of the contest.
Of the rest, Snow Leopardess couldn’t get anywhere near the lead and was struggling from an early stage, eventually pulling up. Two For Gold ran well in a prominent position for a long way but didn’t stay and was pulled up, too.
Plenty couldn’t cope with the blood and thunder and there were lots of early fallers, despite the race being a much easier jumping test than in yesteryear. They go quicker now, though, and you need a different type of horse.
Noble Yeats, on just his eighth chase start, has only been jumping obstacles for 13 months. He’s the first seven-year-old to win the National since World War II, but this sort of unexposed project could well be the kind of horse we’ll need to be looking for when trying to crack the modern National.
This was a superb plan executed by his whole team, but the retiring Waley-Cohen will get all the plaudits. And rightly so.
