One of point-to-pointing's most celebrated families was today enjoying the reflective thrill of Saturday's victory in the Randox Grand National
Yet Warwickshire racehorse owner and trainer Robert Waley-Cohen was also facing a racing future without son Sam in the saddle.
The two men won Jump racing's most famous race with Noble Yeats, who is trained in Ireland by Emmet Mullins, but Sam had announced two days earlier that the National would be his final race, and he was sticking by that decision in his hour of glory. He retired with a record of seven victories over Aintree's National fences – including three wins in the Foxhunters' Chase – and having been an outstanding ambassador for amateur riders. He rode 102 point-to-point winners at a strike rate in excess of 33 per cent, and his victories included that trio of Foxhunters' Chase wins on Katarino (2005 and 2006) and Warne (2014) and two in Stratford's Champion Hunters' Chase on Roulez Cool (2010) and Paint The Clouds (2014). He also gained two wins in the Lord Ashton of Hyde's Cup (Irilut and Rumbavu) and one in the Lady Dudley Cup (Irilut)
When asked if his son's departure from Britain's weighing rooms and changing tents would affect his plans as an owner and trainer of pointers and hunter chasers, Robert Waley-Cohen said this morning: "We had runners and some good winners before Sam started riding – horses like Russell and Katarino and Won't Be Gone Long – and we will certainly carry on having horses. Probably less, but it's early days. It's only just sinking in that we haven't got a jockey any more."
Alice Stevens has ridden for Waley-Cohen when Sam has been absent this season, but the stable's next runner, Igor, will be lining up in Saturday's Lady Dudley Cup, a men's open race, at Chaddesley Corbett. James King has been booked for the ride.
Following Saturday's momentous victory Robert and Sam flew to Mullins' yard in County Carlow the following day to join the celebrations. Robert said: "Only in Ireland could a horse take over a village and fill the street, while all the car drivers sit waiting for it to clear without getting impatient. I'm not a drinker, but when a pint of Guinness is placed in your hand you can't really refuse it. It was great to share the occasion with Emmet and Mick Molony, who led the horse up, and all the team at the yard. Patrick Mullins and Rachael Blackmore were there too."
Sam Waley-Cohen with his father at Larkhill earlier this season **photo Carl Evans
Reflecting on the National and his son's ride, Robert said: "I watched him going out into the country for the second time in fifth and thought, 'that's the perfect place'. He [Sam] has an unbelievable way of sitting still and not asking the horse to jump, including at the last, when he knew he was on the wrong stride and just let the horse sort itself out. Having ridden Noble Yeats at Cheltenham [his only previous ride on the seven-year-old] he knew he still had something in his pocket."
He added: "One of Sam's favourite memories came when they were lining up at the start of a National some years ago. Turning to A P McCoy he said, 'What are you going to do?' and he received the reply, 'Keep an eye on what you are going to do'."
Aintree reflects well on point-to-pointing
Victory for the Waley-Cohen family in the Randox Grand National topped a string of good stories from Aintree that had connections with Britain's point-to-point circuit.
The meeting's opening race, the Gr.1 Manifesto Novices' Chase, resulted in a win for Millers Bank, who was saddled by his breeder, former point-to-point trainer Alex Hales, while the Randox Foxhunters' Chase went to Latenightpass, owned and bred by Pippa Ellis, trained by her son Tom and ridden by daughter-in-law Gina Andrews. Tom holds the Foran Equine trainers' championship for yards with eight or more horses, while Gina is Britain's eight-time champion woman rider and heading for a ninth senior national title that would put her one ahead of Polly Gundry and David Turner.
In a clean sweep for British yards Latenightpass was followed home by Cat Tiger, the mount of David Maxwell, and Porlock Bay, trained and ridden by the sport's winning-most rider, Will Biddick.
Former national champion rider Evan Williams trained The Last Day to win the Gr.3 Red Rum Chase – in which former pointer Sky Pirate was an honourable fourth.
Day two started with a fine run by ex-pointer Garry Clermont, who finished fourth of 21 in a handicap hurdle, before Ahoy Senor confirmed his place as one of Jump racing's most exciting staying novice chasers when taking the Gr.1 Mildmay Novices Chase. He won a point-to-point at Kimble for Mel Rowley in November 2020 and was then sold by owner/breeder Don Constable. Ahoy Senor is now trained by Lucinda Russell.
The Bowen family, who have all had long and successful associations with point-to-pointing, landed a fifth win in the Topham Trophy when the Peter Bowen-trained Mac Tottie won under Sean Bowen. Peter was a brilliant trainer of pointers before taking out a licence, his wife Karen was a leading rider under her maiden name of Bryan, and two of their sons, Sean and James, became novice champions. Eldest son Mickey trains pointers and won the 2017 Foxhunters' Chase with Dineur. Mac Tottie was foaled by Tot Of The Knar, who in 2008 won three point-to-points under Polly Gundry.
The following race, the Gr.1 Sefton Novices' Chase, went to Gelino Bello ridden by another former novice champion, Harry Cobden, and trained by Paul Nicholls, who currently owns or part-owns a number of pointers.
Saturday's card saw another fine effort in Gr.1 company by ex-pointer Third Time Lucki, who finished third in the Maghull Novices' Chase, while former point-to-point riders Charlie Todd, Anthony Honeyball and Neil King were all associated with winners