Home » Noble Yeats Bidding to Enter History Books in Grand National

Noble Yeats Bidding to Enter History Books in Grand National

By  //  March 2, 2023

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The Grand National is a steeplechase that is followed across the world, including here in Florida.

No race around the world in horse racing has the balance of appeal, history, and uniqueness as the marathon contest in Liverpool, England.

Success in the Grand National ensures the horse, jockey, and trainer has their name engraved on the roll of honor at Aintree Racecourse. They tend to dominate the sports pages across the globe the following day.

Last year’s winner Noble Yeats is bidding to become just the 10th horse to win the race more than once. Only two have managed that in the last half a century, with Red Rum managing it in 1974 and Tiger Roll more recently in 2019. The Irish horse is the +800 favorite in the latest racing odds for the 2023 renewal of the race.

As you can see in the Cheltenham results, Emmet Mullins’ runner ran in the Ultima Handicap Chase a month before Aintree in 2022. He is set to feature at the Cheltenham Festival again this year, this time in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. It is the most prestigious race over fences, and should he win it, he will be only the third horse to do so after Golden Miller and L’Escargot.

New Jockey This Year

One of the great angles to Noble Yeats’ victory in the Grand National last year was that he was partnered by amateur jockey Sam Whaley-Cohen on what was his final ride before retiring from the saddle.

The qualified dentist had been a regular in some of the biggest races in the sport. He rode Long Run to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and King George VI Chase in 2011. The talented amateur had also previously had success over the Grand National fences in the Becher Handicap Chase and Topham Handicap Chase.

Whaley-Cohen became the first amateur to win the Grand National since Marcus Armytage famously prevailed in 1990 with Mr. Frisk. With his family all at Aintree to see his final ride, it proved to be a memorable day for the 40-year-old.

Best May Still Be Ahead for Noble Yeats

Trained in Ireland by Mullins, Noble Yeats has shown this season that he is continuing to improve. When he won the Grand National last April, he did so as a seven-year-old. He was the first horse that young to land the contest since Bogskar in 1940.

Noble Yeats is the son of four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats. His sire never ran over fences, but he had a lot of ability in staying races on the Flat, as he showed with his four victories in the feature race at Royal Ascot.

The Irish chaser has already earned his connections over $500,000 in prize money. He has been successful in six of his 16 races under rules, with notable wins also coming in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree and M.W Hickey Memorial Chase at Wexford.

Unlike previous Grand National winners, the future looks very bright for Noble Yeats. If he defends his crown at Aintree, he will go down as one of the best-staying chasers in modern history.