Sam Thomas (jockey)

Sam Thomas (born 22 June 1984) is a retired Welsh National Hunt jockey who is now a horse trainer. He is best known for winning the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Denman.

Sam Thomas
OccupationJockey
Born (1984-06-22) 22 June 1984
Abergavenny, Wales
Career wins509
Major racing wins
Cheltenham Gold Cup, Betfair Chase, Tingle Creek Chase, Savills Chase
Significant horses
Denman, Kauto Star, Twist Magic

Across his career as a jockey, Thomas won 509 races and earnt £5.59 million prize money in Great Britain and a further €255,815 in the Republic of Ireland.[1]

Personal life

Thomas was born in Abergavenny, Wales. He rode in point to points before graduating to race riding.[2]

Racing career

Thomas began his racing career with David Evans in Wales. He primarily looked after the horses and took them to races.[3] Thomas had his first runner at Exeter Racecourse, If And But on 20 December 2001. His first winner was Indian Summer at Ludlow Racecourse on 2 April 2003.[4][5]

Thomas joined Venetia Williams yard and by 20 he had ridden out his claim,[6] and saw success with Limerick Boy winning the 2004 Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton Park[7] and a Summer Cup at Uttoxeter Racecourse with Kock De La Vesvre.

Thomas would later join Paul Nicholls as second jockey to Ruby Walsh.[8] Big race victories followed, including his first Group 1 winner in the Betfair Chase with Kauto Star[9] and later the 2007 Tingle Creek Chase with Twist Magic.

The biggest race win of his career came in 2008, taking victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Denman beating stablemate Kauto Star.[10][11]

Following his Gold Cup victory, Thomas had mixed form in 2008 which led to doubts in the media over his future with his current employers.[12][13] Continuing to ride Nicholls' top runners, he fell at the last fence in the Betfair Chase on Kauto Star,[14] and again in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury Racecourse on Big Buck's.[15] Both races he was leading at the time.

Thomas would continue riding until 2015 when he retired.[16] In 2017 he returned to the saddle for a charity race in aid of Bob Champion at Chepstow Racecourse, winning on Maoi Chinn Tire.[17]

Major wins

United Kingdom Great Britain

Republic of Ireland Republic of Ireland

Cheltenham Festival winners (1)
  • Cheltenham Gold Cup - Denman (2008)

Training career

Following retirement, Thomas secured his trainers licence. He currently operates from Lisvane in Wales, a 35 box yard owned by businessman Dai Walters who previously owned Ffos Las Racecourse.[18]

One of his most notable winners since starting training is Iwilldoit who won the 2021 Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse.[19][20]

References
  1. "Sam Thomas Statistics". Racing Post. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  2. "Betfair Chase 2007". Racing Better. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  3. "Sam Thomas". Diamond Racing. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. "Horse Racing Play It Again Sam". free library. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  5. "Racing Results Ludlow 2 April 2003". Racing Post. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  6. "Sam Thomas Racing". Sam Thomas Racing. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  7. "Limerick Boy lands Lanzarote". BBC. 17 January 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  8. "Thomas links up with Nicholls". RTE. 23 October 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  9. "Kauto Star wins tight Betfair Chase". The Guardian. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  10. "Cheltenham Festival". BBC. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  11. "Denman destroys rivals to win Gold Cup". The Times. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  12. "Doubts over Thomas suggest Nicholls has been rattled by events". The Guardian. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  13. "Nicholls turns to Fergie as Thomas doubts grow". The Evening Standard. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  14. "Snoopy Loopy lands surprise Betfair Chase win as Kauto Star slips up". The Guardian. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. "'Bonkers' decision pays off as Big Buck's gallops to World glory". The Guardian. 13 March 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  16. "Denman's rider Sam Thomas considering a return to the weighing room". Racing Post. 14 October 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  17. "Court Minstrel takes the big prize in bumper jump season opener at Chepstow". Wales Online. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  18. "Dai Walters hoping to reap rewards of association with Sam Thomas". The Owner Breeder. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  19. "Welsh Grand National: Iwilldoit wins at Chepstow". BBC. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  20. "Iwilldoit provides biggest win of Sam Thomas's training career in Welsh National". Racing Post. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
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