GRAND NATIONAL winner Sam Waley-Cohen paid an emotional tribute to his brother Thomas, who died from cancer aged 20.
Amateur Waley-Cohen, 39, stormed to victory at Aintree in his final ride as a jockey, 11 years on from winning the Gold Cup.
Sam Waley-Cohen claimed victory in the Grand National in his final race
The millionaire dental businessman – who is close friends with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – rode 50-1 shot Noble Yeats to a memorable victory.
In a pulsating finish against favourite 15-2 Any Second Now, Waley-Cohen kept finding more and more on the horse owned by his dad Robert.
And moments after crossing the line, he was quick to remember his tragic brother Thomas.
Waley-Cohen said: “That it’s beyond words. It’s a fairy tale, it’s a fantasy. Just full of love, happiness and gratefulness.
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“I do think Thomas is sitting on my back, I ride with his name in my saddle.
“These days are family days, and you couldn’t make it up, could you?
“To Dad, unwavering belief and love, over 23 years, never a cross word, never nothing but a dream.
“To my wife, long-suffering, they aren’t all good days, there are bad days in this sport but she’s always there to support me.”
Thomas sadly passed away in 2004, days after his 20th birthday.
That came after nearly ten years battling bone cancer.
The youngster had his leg amputated as a teenager but still went skydiving with Sam on his 18th birthday.
In the first seven years after Thomas’ death, jockey Sam helped raise more than £1m for a new Children’s Hospital in Oxford, where a ward bears Thomas’ name, and is an ambassador for The Bone Cancer Research Trust.
Noble Yeats held off the challenge of favourite 15-2 Any Second Now to win
