Grand National hero Noble Yeats pulled up on Auteuil reappearance

Saturday: Auteuil

Grand National winner Noble Yeats’ return to action proved to be an anticlimax after the seven-year-old was pulled in the early stages at Auteuil.

Emmet Mullins’ Aintree hero blundered badly at the second fence, an open ditch, in the 2m6f Prix Heros XII chase and rider James Reveley did well to keep the partnership intact. But Noble Yeats quickly lost ground after the error and a short while later Reveley took the decision to pull up his mount, although he did not appear to be injured.

Owner Robert Waley-Cohen said: “James was a bit worried after he slipped into the second fence and did not want to take any chances but thankfully he seems to be okay, although we’ll know a lot more when he gets back home.

“We sent him to France for some decent ground and we thought it was a wonderful place to start him off this season. It’s a shame things didn’t work out but it happens with horses. It's just one of those things really and hopefully he'll be fine for another day.

“He’ll be running in the UK as soon as we can find some suitable ground for him but we have no firm ideas over where that might be just yet.

“James is based in France and with Sam retired now we’ll be looking for a jockey to ride him back in the UK. We've already had a few thoughts about that but haven't decided anything just yet.”

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