Noble Yeats, the 50-1 longshot who delivered one of the most memorable Grand National victories in recent memory, has died aged 11 following complications from colic. The horse fell ill Wednesday at his retirement paddock, where veterinarians worked through the night attempting to save him before he succumbed to the condition.
Noble Yeats became the first seven-year-old since 1940 to win the Grand National when he stunned Aintree in 2022, carrying amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen to victory in what would prove to be the rider's final race. The triumph capped a storybook ending to Waley-Cohen's career, with the pair crossing the finish line ahead of a field of 39 other runners.
"He gave us one of the great days of our lives and fulfilled our dreams," Sam Waley-Cohen said following news of the horse's death. "He was brilliant for us and was one of those special horses."
Owner Robert Waley-Cohen, Sam's father, had purchased Noble Yeats just two months before the National triumph. The timing proved prophetic, as the horse delivered the family's greatest racing moment in spectacular fashion. "He looked very uncomfortable on Wednesday, so the vet came out and everybody was up all night treating him and hoping he would pull through, but unfortunately he went the other way," Robert Waley-Cohen told the BBC. "It was a grim moment."
Trained by Emmet Mullins, Noble Yeats continued racing after his National victory, adding three more wins to his tally for a career total of seven victories. His final triumph came in the prestigious Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2024, where he edged out Paisley Park by a head in a thrilling finish that demonstrated the class that had carried him to Aintree glory.
The horse's racing career effectively ended at Leopardstown during the 2024 Christmas festival, when arthritis forced his retirement at age nine. Rather than pushing through potential discomfort, connections made the compassionate decision to retire him to pasture, where he spent his final months in the company of other racing legends.
"He was living the life of a retired horse in the field with Long Run and Oscar Time," Robert Waley-Cohen noted, referencing the 2011 Gold Cup winner and 2011 Grand National runner-up respectively. The three horses formed an unlikely retirement community of racing royalty, each having achieved significant success during their competitive careers.
Colic, a general term for abdominal pain in horses, remains one of the leading causes of death in equines. The condition can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening complications requiring emergency surgery. Despite advances in veterinary medicine, severe cases still prove challenging to treat, particularly when complications develop rapidly.
Noble Yeats' legacy extends beyond his unexpected National triumph. His victory represented the enduring appeal of horse racing's greatest steeplechase, where long odds can be overcome through courage, stamina, and a little luck over Aintree's demanding four-mile course.
The 2022 Grand National field that Noble Yeats conquered included several heavily-favoured runners, making his victory all the more remarkable. The race demonstrated why the National remains unpredictable despite modern handicapping systems and extensive form analysis.
For the Waley-Cohen family, Noble Yeats provided a perfect culmination to decades of involvement in National Hunt racing. Sam Waley-Cohen's decision to retire immediately after the victory, while still at the pinnacle of the sport, added poignancy to an already emotional triumph.
The horse's death marks the end of a chapter for connections who experienced the ultimate high of Grand National glory, followed by the quieter satisfaction of providing their champion with a peaceful retirement before his unexpected illness struck.
