Bookies fear pasting from Grand National punters if history repeats itself
Bookies fear a right royal pasting if last year’s Grand National winner triumphs again in Saturday’s big race.
Coronation-crazy punters have been piling the pounds on Noble Yeats.
The horse was a 50-1 long shot when it breezed home 12 months ago ridden by Royal matchmaker Sam Waley-Cohen, a close personal friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
But it will start this year’s race among the favourites as patriotic punters queued up to back it in the run-up to King Charles III’s Coronation next month.
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Sam, 40, is every Royal fan’s favourite jockey after reuniting William with Kate following a brief 2007 split.
He invited them to a `naughty’ fancy dress bash at his Oxfordshire mansion where Kate ended up donning a nurse’s uniform.
Within weeks the young couple were back together. They have been married 12 years and have three children.
This year Noble Yeats – which is owned by Sam’s dad Robert Waley-Cohen – will be ridden by Sean Bowen.
The eight-year-old Irish-bred bay gelding is just an 8-1 shot to win his second National at the weekend.
He would become only the sixth horse in the race’s 184-year history to win back-to-back following in the hoof-prints of Abd-El-Kader in 1850 and 51, The Colonel in 1869 and 70, Reynoldstown in 1935 and 36, Red Red Rum in 1974 and 74 and Tiger Roll in 2018 and 19. Red Rum is the only three-time winner.
With his regal connections ahead of the Cronation bookies fear Noble Yeats will start a red hot favourite – exposing them to a battering.
David Stevens, of Coral, said bookies were praying Noble Yeats does not double-up.
“In contrast to 12 months ago when he was largely ignored by punters as a 50-1 outsider this time around we’re expecting Noble Yeats to be one of the most popular selections on the biggest betting day of the year,’’ he said.
“Having won the race so easily last year there’s every chance he’ll be sent off favourite this weekend.
“And if he does win back-to-back Nationals he’ll cost us a King’s ransom in this Coronation year.’’
As well as his regal moniker the horse has startling Royal connections.
Sam went to boarding school with Kate Middleton.
She helped raise funds for a ward in his late brother Thomas’ memory at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital after he died tragically aged 20 of bone cancer in 2004.
After last year’s victory Sam was congratulated by Kate and William on social media.
The Royal couple tweeted: “Huge congratulations to @swaleycohen for winning the Grand National. What a way to retire!’’
The jockey – a married dad-of-three who owns a chain of dental practices – dedicated the win to Thomas saying he felt he had been riding with him during the race.
Downplaying the role he had in bringing the prince and princess back together Sam said: “There’s an idea I was cupid with a bow and arrow.
“But they put themselves together far more.’’
Before retiring from the saddle Sam scooped several big jump races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Long Run a decade ago.
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