SAT astride his beloved rocking horse, a young Sam Waley-Cohen imagined he was winning the Grand National.
And on Saturday, the 39-year-old amateur jockey’s dream was finally realised when he took the crown – in what is his biggest win since he brought Prince William and Kate Middleton back together following a brief split in the early days of their romance.
It was Sam’s tenth attempt to strike it lucky at Aintree, with him announcing earlier last week that it would be the last race of his career.
His 50/1 horse Noble Yeats – the famous race’s youngest winner since 1940 – was purchased a mere two months ago by his horse trainer dad Robert.
An emotional Sam described his shock victory as a “fairytale”.
Speaking after his triumph, he said: “I can’t say anything – it’s a dream. I couldn’t believe it.”
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The dad-of-two added: “It’s a fairytale – I’m full of love, happiness and gratefulness.”
He also thanked his father and his “long suffering” wife Annabel for their support as well as paying tribute to his late brother Thomas, who died from cancer aged just 20 in 2004.
Sam said: “Thomas was riding with me today – his name is on my saddle.
“When you lose somebody you love, you realise you should make the most of life, and also to try and put a lot of energy into every day – as you don’t know if it will be your last.”
Among Sam’s many well-wishers were close friends the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who tweeted their congratulations adding: “What a way to retire!”
Before Saturday’s big win, perhaps his biggest claim to fame was being the royal matchmaker who helped to rekindle the romance between the young lovebirds after their much-publicised 2007 split.
As a youngster, Sam split his time between his family’s 17th-century mansion in Banbury, Oxfordshire, where he studied at Dragon School and St Edward’s School, and London where, for a time, he and brother Thomas were pupils at Wetherby pre-prep school – attended by Princes William and Harry.
His father Robert, 73, is the son of a baronet, founder of the hugely successful radiology provider Alliance Medical, and a leading racehorse owner.
His mother Felicity, 74, is the daughter of Viscount Bearstead, a member of the Hill Samuel banking dynasty, and ran a gallery.
His maternal great-great-grandfather, Viscount Bearsted, founded Shell Oil, while his uncle, theatre owner Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen, produces The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play.
Despite the family’s vast wealth and privilege, it seems Robert ensured youngest child Sam’s feet were kept firmly on ground – or in the saddle.
Speaking in 2012, Robert said: “One of the pleasures of the turf is you meet people from every conceivable background.
“The old saying that all are equal on and under the turf is absolutely correct.
“If you’re a top-class trainer, nobody cares whether your father was a bookmaker, as Martin Pipe’s was, or a policeman, as Paul Nicholls’s was, or a partner of Cazenove, as Nicky Henderson’s was.”
Unlike professional jockeys, amateurs do not get paid prize money.
But that hardly seems to matter as successful Sam’s dental firm Portman Dental Care has been valued at £300million.
And it was always the win that has mattered most to Sam.
Speaking after his son’s win, Robert said: “It’s an amazing story and Sam has been dreaming of winning this ever since he used to ‘ride’
Auntie Dot (third in the 1991 Grand National) on his rocking horse when he was a little kid.
“So this really is the fulfilment of a life-long dream.”
His parents often took Sam and his three siblings, Marcus, 44, Jessica, 43, and his late brother Thomas for days out at Aintree.
Sam recalls: “We used to come here as kids and there was an ice cream stall where you could get free tasters, and we’d be up and down every race getting free tasters.
“So it’s been part of my childhood, and what’s probably kept me trying to ride year after year after year is trying to come back and have a feeling like that.”
But Sam’s idyllic childhood was shattered when 10-year-old Thomas was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in 1995.
That year, Thomas – completely bald following gruelling chemotherapy – was pictured presenting a bouquet of flowers to Princess Diana.
His former gallery owner mum is the long-standing vice-chairman of the Serpentine Gallery, of which the late Royal was a patron of.
Aged 14, Thomas – who had his left leg amputated below the knee – moved from the Dragon School in Oxford to Marlborough College, where he met Kate Middleton, although they were not in the same year.
‘THEY PUT THEMSELVES TOGETHER’
Sam later became friends with Kate while studying in Scotland; Sam read politics at Edinburgh University while Kate went to St Andrew’s University in Fife, where she met Prince William in 2001.
They began dating in 2003 and lived together with a group of other students before graduating in 2005.
They temporarily split in 2007 for around ten weeks.
While Kate was rumoured to have been ready to commit, and William reportedly got cold feet as speculation mounted about their engagement.
The royal couple are believed to have reconciled at a so-called Freakin Naughty themed party thrown by Sam at his family’s country pile.
William wore hot pants and a policeman’s helmet, while Kate dressed as a ‘naughty’ nurse in fishnet tights and a short dress.
That night they were spotted deep in conversation – and a few weeks later they jetted off to the Seychelles.
Modest Sam was keen to downplay his involvement in the reunion, saying in 2011: “There’s an idea that I was like Cupid with a bow and arrow.
“People love the idea that somebody put them back together but they put themselves together far more.
“They’ve both been friends for a long time. I think they got back together of their own accord.”
Nonetheless, Kate was keen to return the favour and helped Sam organise an 80s themed charity roller disco in 2008.
In the the first seven years after his brother’s tragic death, Sam helped raise more than £1million for a new Children’s Hospital in Oxford, where there is a ward named after Tom.
Wearing a green sequinned halter neck top and yellow hot pants, Kate showed William – then working away full-time as an RAF helicopter search and rescue pilot – what he was missing.
She was pictured larking about on her roller skates before taking a tumble and being helped to her feet by a gallant Sam, dressed in a hot pink jacket.
Some critics accused Kate of letting down the monarchy with her momentary lapse, but loyal Sam stuck up for his pal, saying: “The sniping really annoyed me.
“The whole event was done in really good humour with everyone out to have a good time and raise money for charity.
“And actually it just showed what a normal person Kate is. She was there to have fun, and she fell over.
“What’s the problem here?”
When the Cambridges got married in 2011, Sam was top of the invite list.
Kate and sister Pippa were also in attendance when he tied the knot with Annabel Ballin, 40, who runs a children’s party planning business, the following year.
The couple have three children, Max, nine, Scarlett, seven, and Alexander, two, who were at his side on the podium to celebrate his epic win.
With the weekend’s celebrations now over, Sam – who founded Portman Dental Care in 2009 – will today quietly return to his day job, running 250 dental practices spanning five countries.
And while there have been calls for him to get back in the saddle, he is adamant it was the final furlong and there is no going back on his decision to retire.
Sam, who turns 40 on Saturday, said: “Thinking about doing this again is fool’s gold.
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“I’ve made up my mind, I’ve had the dream ride, and what a way to go out.”
Because just like Kate, who bagged her prince and will one day become Queen, he’s got his fairytale ending.
