Sam Twiston-Davies is one of the more familiar names from the weighing room and has spent a large part of his career riding horses for both Paul Nicholls and his father, Nigel Twiston-Davies. Those partnerships certainly help, but there is no doubt that Sam is a very talented rider, as his success shows.
Twiston-Davies spent four years as stable jockey to Paul Nicholls, from 2014 until 2018, when the pair split. Sam has never been the official stable jockey for his dad Nigel, but during his freelance years, both before and after working with Nicholls, he has always ridden a large number of horses for the yard.
Sam Twiston-Davies Grand National Wins
Sam Twiston-Davies has never won the Grand National.
Their best finish to date was in 2010 with Hello Bud who came 5th.
Full Results
| Year | Horse | Result | Prize Money | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Our Power | 11 | - | Sam Thomas |
| 2022 | Class Conti | 13 | - | Willie Mullins |
| 2021 | Ballyoptic | Fence 21 - Refused | - | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2019 | Go Conquer | Fence 29 - Pulled Up | - | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2018 | Blaklion | Fence 1 - Brought Down | - | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2017 | Saphir Du Rheu | Fence 11 - Unseated Rider | - | Paul Nicholls |
| 2016 | Wonderful Charm | Fence 24 - Pulled Up | - | Paul Nicholls |
| 2015 | Rocky Creek | 17 | - | Paul Nicholls |
| 2014 | Tidal Bay | Fence 8 - Unseated Rider | - | Paul Nicholls |
| 2013 | Imperial Commander | Fence 22 - Pulled Up | - | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2012 | Hello Bud | 7 | £6,630 | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2011 | Hello Bud | Fence 29 - Pulled Up | - | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
| 2010 | Hello Bud | 5 | £24,605 | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
Sam’s career got off to a great start in 2010. While still a conditional jockey, he won the Foxhunter’s Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Baby Run and also had his first Grand National ride, a great start in the race as he came 5th on Hello Bud.
Twiston-Davies is yet to win the Grand National, and it is Hello Bud that has given him the best chance so far. He finished 5th and 7th on that horse in his first three attempts in the race. Given his association with some top yards, Twiston-Davies has had regular rides and some good ones, but so far, none have proven to be the one that lands him the win he’s looking for.
The Scottish National is a race that has been kinder, and Twiston-Davies has won this big race twice, both on the same horse for Paul Nicholls, during their association together. The horse was Vicente, they won the Scottish National in both 2016 and 2017, a big win first time, and then a great weight-carrying performance to go back and win it again a year later.
Cheltenham Festival Success
While the Grand National has eluded Twiston-Davies as a rider, the Cheltenham Festival has been kinder. As mentioned, he bagged his first Cheltenham Festival winner back in 2010 aboard Baby Run in the Foxhunter’s Chase, winning this race while still being a conditional jockey.
The following year, he won the conditional jockey’s championship, as he quickly began to ascend the ladder and pick up some good rides. In terms of the biggest wins of his career so far, Twiston-Davies has a Cheltenham success as part of that. In 2015, during his time as stable jockey to Paul Nicholls, he won the Champion Chase on Dodging Bullets for his boss.