OSE Wins Grand National in Last Race

Congratulations to OSE Sam Waley-Cohen, who enjoyed a fairy-tale victory just two days after he announced his retirement, winning his last ever Grand National on outsider Noble Yeats.  

Sam fended off the favourite, Any Second Now, by two and a quarter lengths.

He said of the win, ‘It’s a dream. It won’t sink in for weeks – it feels like a fantasy, and I just don’t know what to say.’

After his time at St Edward’s, Sam went on to forge a successful career as an entrepreneur. Despite only taking part in around 30 professional competitions a year, he is the first amateur rider to have won both the Gold Cup and National.

Wearing his father’s brown and orange silks in the race, Sam also had the initials of his late brother Thomas etched on his saddle. Thomas died aged 20 of bone cancer in 2004 and a ward in the John Radcliffe hospital is named after him. Sam said of his brother and his passion for riding: ‘When you lose someone you love when they are young you try to make the most of life.’

Celebrating at Aintree with a number of generations of the Waley-Cohen family, he dedicated his races to them: ‘Every race you win for your family is amazing, it doesn’t matter if it’s a point-to-point or the Grand National…it’s a family day out and I’m overjoyed to win.’

We wish Sam all the best for his retirement from the sport.