Emmet Mullins: 'I will be telling Sean Bowen to keep looking back at Sam’s ride on Noble Yeats last year!'

Emmet Mullins said his instructions to Sean Bowen before Noble Yeats bids for back-to-back Randox Grand Nationals will be to copy exactly what the retired Sam Waley-Cohen did last year. 

Noble Yeats appeared the first horse beaten in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month but, having looked like being pulled up at one stage after halfway, he stayed on strongly to take fourth behind Galopin Des Champs. 

Bowen certainly earned his riding fee in the Gold Cup, and Mullins thinks the older Noble Yeats is getting, the wiser he is becoming. 

The trainer said: "He seems to have come out of the Gold Cup well. He’s getting a bit wiser every time and seems to look after himself a bit more these days. He needs a bit more coaxing and Sean was under pressure and hard at it in the Gold Cup. But, when he got a bit of daylight, he flew home.

Sam Waley-Cohen and Noble Yeats clear the final fence in last year's Grand National alongside Any Second NowCredit: Shaun Botterill (Getty Images)

"I think he was last jumping the first fence in the Grand National last year and wasn’t in contention for the first two miles really, which all worked out in his favour. There is no rule of thumb with him, it’s about getting the horse happy and confident with some space and getting the gaps.

"He will probably have to take the brave man’s route again to get that space, but he negotiated it last year and fingers crossed can do it again. I will be telling Sean to keep looking back at Sam’s ride last year!"

Mullins admitted it won't be easy for Noble Yeats to repeat the feat off a 19lb higher mark than the one he was victorious off 12 months ago. 

He said: "He’s been highly tried this year. We went down the Gold Cup route and he has probably gone up a few pounds since then. Tiger Roll won his second National with 11st 5lb and we are trying to come back with 11st 11lb so everything is just going to be a bit harder."

Noble Yeats might not be Mullins' only representative in the 2023 Grand National as he is mulling over the prospect of also running The Shunter, winner of the Plate at Cheltenham in 2021. 

The Shunter: an Aintree possible Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Mullins said: "We are undecided with The Shunter. He is looking well but there are no firm plans yet."

On the rest of his Aintree team, Mullins said: "We have Its On The Line who will go for the Hunters’ Chase on Thursday. He ran a brilliant race at Cheltenham. The drop back in trip will probably be a bit on the sharp side for him, but he gallops and he jumps. He's only six and a horse for the future so it was a brilliant showing from him at Cheltenham.

"Feronily could have an entry in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. He was good the last day getting his win on the board in a maiden hurdle and has some good back form having been placed in two Leopardstown bumpers. He is a horse to keep an eye on for next year."

Randox Grand National (5.15 Aintree, April 15)

Coral: 6 Corach Rambler, 8 Noble Yeats, 10 Delta Work, 12 Any Second Now, Gaillard Du Mesnil, 14 Mr Incredible, 16 Ain’t That A Shame, Galvin, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet, Vanillier, 20 Our Power, 25 Capodanno, Lifetime Ambition, The Big Breakaway, The Big Dog, The Shunter, 33 bar

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