Which horse was Sam Twiston-Davies’ 1000th winner?

Born in Naunton, Gloucestershire on October 15, 1992, Sam Twiston-Davies is, of course, the elder son of two-time Grand National-winning trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies. He began his riding career in 2008/09, but came to the attention of the wider racing public when, on March 19, 2010 – as a 17-year-old amateur – he rode Baby Run, trained by his father, to victory in the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival.

The following season, 2010/11, Twiston-Davies set his sights on winning the conditional jockeys’ championship and achieved his ambition, riding 59 winners and, thereby, losing his claim during the campaign. Further success followed, with 81 winners in 2011/12, 87 in 2012/13 – including his first Grade 1 winner, The New One, in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival – and 145 in 2013/14. At the start of 2014/15 season, Twiston-Davies landed the job of stable jockey to multiple champion trainer Paul Nicholls, replacing Daryl Jacob, and would remain in that position until 2018, when he left go freelance.

Twiston-Davies brought up 1,000 winners on British soil when winning a novices’ handicap hurdle at Southwell on Chef De Troupe, trained by Dr. Richard Newland, on June 23, 2019. Reflecting on his achievement, at the age of 26, he said, ‘Obviously, it’s great. I’ve been very lucky, supported by a lot of really good people over the years, especially my dad, and Dr Newland has been fantastic; then obviously, the years with Paul [Nicholls] were amazing.’