'He has the right profile' - Robert Waley-Cohen buys National hope Noble Yeats

Robert Waley-Cohen has swooped to secure the Emmet Mullins-trained Noble Yeats for his son Sam to ride in this year's Randox Grand National on the eve of the weights launch for the Aintree showpiece.

The father-and-son team, who combined to win the Gold Cup in 2011 with Long Run, have unfinished Grand National business after Oscar Time found only Ballabriggs too good at Aintree that same season.

Speaking on Monday, Waley-Cohen said that an opportunity to snap up the seven-year-old Noble Yeats, a general 25-1 chance for Grand National glory, was too good to turn down and that he believes Mullins' improving chaser has the right profile to be a leading contender at Aintree.

The leading owner said: "It's possibly a year too early but you have to seize the opportunity when you can. Racing is all about dreams and you've got to be very lucky to win all of those big races.

"Noble Yeats has the right profile. He's an improving young horse who gets three miles and could well get further. He will stay with Emmet until at least the end of the season."

Emmet Mullins (left), pictured with owner Paul Byrne, said: 'It's very exciting times for us'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Mullins described Noble Yeats as an "exciting horse" on Monday and said he was looking forward to teaming up with the Waley-Cohens after the news was confirmed.

He said: "It's very exciting times for us. To have owners like the Waley-Cohens coming on board means a lot for a small stable like ours. Hopefully, with a nice progressive horse like Noble Yeats, we should have many good days ahead of us.

"He's an exciting horse. He might be too high for something like a Kim Muir but we could look at Aintree. The Grand National weights are being announced on Tuesday so we'll know more then."

'Aintree had been our plan all season'

Noble Yeats, like Mullins' flagbearer The Shunter, was owned by the trainer's close friend Paul Byrne.

The Shunter was transferred to JP McManus after he landed the Paddy Power Plate at the Cheltenham Festival last season and Byrne wished the new connections of Noble Yeats well.

Byrne said: "I'm thrilled that he stays in training with Emmet. Aintree had been our plan all season and assuming he goes that way it will be great to see the horse paired with one of the all-time great riders over the National fences. I wish the Waley-Cohen family the very best of luck."

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Waley-Cohen's colours have been carried to victory over the unique Aintree fences six times, including when Oscar Time came out of retirement to win the 2014 Becher Chase when under the care of his owner.

Winning the Grand National remains a huge ambition for Waley-Cohen and his son, whose association with Aintree is distinguished.

Waley-Cohen said: "Sam's Aintree record is bizarre really. He's ridden out his claim, which is not so rare for an amateur in Ireland, but it is rare in Britain, especially for someone who has about 4,000 employees. He's a proper Corinthian.

Sam Waley-Cohen, pictured here with his father Robert, has a distinguished Aintree recordCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We had great fun with Oscar Time, who finished second and fourth in the Grand National when trained by Martin Lynch, and then we retired him. We didn't run him again for 14 months and then we brought him back in a point-to-point, which he won, then we ran him in two more hunter chases, which he won as well. Then we ended up winning the Becher Chase with him that season as a 13-year-old."

The former chairman of Cheltenham racecourse added: "He's out in a field with another horse we bought from Ireland, Warne, who won the Foxhunters at Aintree for us. The two of them are out together.

"We've won six races over the Grand National fences, with three of whom have been trained from here, and we had a homebreds Rajdhani Express and Libertine – Long Run's half-sister – win at Aintree as well."

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