Waley-Cohen: Noble Yeats isn't just a National winner, he's a Gold Cup contender

Robert Waley-Cohen is adamant Noble Yeats is not your average Grand National winner and believes he has a bona fide Gold Cup contender on his hands after Saturday's brilliant win back at Aintree.

The Emmet Mullins-trained seven-year-old was cut to a general 10-1 for the Gold Cup following his emphatic win in the Many Clouds Chase, where he showcased a devastating turn of foot to floor his rivals.

He earned a rating of 167 for that performance, and although Waley-Cohen is aware of the improvement required to win a Gold Cup, he is optimistic his star can continue moving in the right direction.

"He's improved a lot over the summer, as you'd expect a seven-year-old coming into his prime might do," Waley-Cohen said. "Sam [Waley-Cohen] said when he rode him at Cheltenham and Aintree, when he pulled him out and said 'time to go now', he found a surprising amount, and he showed that again in the Many Clouds.

"His mark of 167 is a bit short of a Gold Cup rating, A Plus Tard was rated 180 after he won last year which gives you a clue that we have a little bit to make up.

"It's only 13 months since he won his first chase, though, and that was over two mile two at one of the smaller tracks. Not many horses can say that in a course of a year, they won over two mile two [furlongs], three miles and four mile two."

Waley-Cohen won the Gold Cup in 2011 when Long Run famously downed Denman and Kauto Star, and he is relishing the chance of playing a leading role in proceedings again.

He said: "How lucky can we be to have such enormous fun? This season has been unexpected fun, I had no idea he would turn out like this.

"If you look at the history books most horses go to a Grand National after they win a Gold Cup, so we're doing things unusually. That said, it's pretty unusual to win a Grand National as a seven-year-old novice, but that's Emmet for you; he's a very cunning trainer."

Noble Yeats quickens away from Ahoy Senor to win the Many Clouds Chase at AintreeCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Long Run was partnered by Robert's son Sam, who retired from riding after winning the Grand National aboard Noble Yeats in April.

Although that family connection in the saddle will be missed this time around, with Sam enjoying life away from the game, Waley-Cohen has great confidence in Noble Yeats's new partner Sean Bowen.

"Sean was always the plan," he said. "I wanted someone who was top class but not in a yard that was likely to have runners in these top-class races.

"When you look at the photographs of Sean jumping over the fences, I find it very hard to work out whether it's him or Sam. They ride in a very similar style."

Noble Yeats holds a King George entry, a race he is a general 10-1 shot for, but it is unlikely to be the next stop on his route to Cheltenham and Aintree.

Waley-Cohen added: "This has been the driest year any of us can remember and it would need to rain incessantly between now and then for it to be wet enough for him to go to Kempton – the likelihood is small.

"There are really only two choices beyond that. One is the Fleur De Lys at Lingfield on January 22 and it would be the preferred option, the other would be the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham."

Long Run: provided the Waley-Cohen family with Cheltenham Gold Cup glory in 2011Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Noble Yeats will face the prospect of carrying 11st 10lb in his bid to defend his National crown, something that prevented connections of Tiger Roll from bidding for a third Grand National.

However, the prospect of that weight does not faze Waley-Cohen, who quietly hopes his horse can return to Aintree with a big rating.

"We hope the handicapper will be kind, thoughtful and remember he's a young horse," he said.

"Tiger Roll was a little horse, Noble Yeats is very powerful and a different style of horse all together. I don't think top weight will be inconvenient to him.

"I suppose I hope he gets a massive handicap rating and pushes everything else out of the handicap!"

Read this next:

'He looks the real deal' - Noble Yeats 10-1 for Gold Cup after remarkable win

Who might take on heavyweights Galopin Des Champs and Energumene on Sunday?

The world's number 1 horse racing app just got better! Download the brand new Racing Post app for free to experience our new game-changing odds comparison, exclusive daily big-name tipping and unrivalled app-only content. Click here to download the latest version.