Sam Twiston-Davies hopes he can enjoy more Grade One glory days with Paul Nicholls after it was announced that the pair will join forces again next season.
The Ditcheat handler revealed on Friday that he plans to use the 33-year-old, who served as stable jockey from 2014 to 2017, on a more frequent basis next season following the news that Harry Cobden is to become JP McManus’s retained rider next term.
During their previous spell together the pair enjoyed numerous Grade One victories together including with Dodging Bullets in the 2014 Tingle Creek and 2015 Queen Mother, and in the 2016 French Champion Hurdle with Ptit Zig.
And having acted as supersub to the 14-time champion trainer in more recent seasons, including when steering Clan Des Obeaux to glory in the 2019 King George and 2021 Punchestown Gold Cup, Twiston-Davies is excited about joining forces with Nicholls again.
Twiston-Davies said: “It probably all took everyone a bit by surprise (when Harry got the JP job), but when he was a bit sore at Kempton Park I rode one for Paul there and it was obviously when all the news was starting to filter out. He said when he got back from holiday we would sit down and have a chat because at the end of the day we are in two very different positions.
“When I was there he got his championship back and it then got competitive again from there, but now I’ve gone off and done things at home, and with lots of different people.
“I don’t know exactly how it will go, but I will say how I see it working and he will say how he sees it working. We will have a chat and try and work it out and come to a mutual agreement and have a bit of fun.
“He knows my CV well as he practically created it. It is nice that we had multiple Graded wins, and Champion Chase as such, and even things like when we popped Ptit Zig over to Auteuil to win a French Champion Hurdle. Days like that are very hard to replace, but you know with a man like that on your side you could be doing it again which is nice.”
Since leaving as stable jockey to Nicholls the Gloucestershire based rider has established solid links with a number of other trainers. And he admits he will be in a much different position going back to Ditcheat this time around.
He added: I’m very lucky in who I ride for at the moment with dad and Willy, Anthony Honeyball, Henry Daly, and I’ve also had a load of winners for James Owen.
“What is nice when you are looking at the Grade One factor it is nice to be throwing your hat in the ring in that aspect of it and you know with Paul, he has had the good horses turn up on this round, and he will be on the hunt for a shed load more, and he has got a lot of nice young horses coming through. The opportunity to be involved with some of them is quite exciting.
“Back then I needed everything to go well and I needed him. I know if it doesn’t work out, or if we fall out, or anything goes wrong, that we can walk away from the situation and both will be okay. Paul is never not going to be a fantastic trainer and hopefully I’m not ever going to turn into a crap jockey overnight! It is one of those, whatever happens, win, lose, or draw, we both want the same thing, and that is to win, and hopefully together that is a dangerous combination. It is another string to my bow.”
And not only will Twiston-Davies, who has ridden more than 1600 winners, bring vast experience to the saddle, but he also hopes to have an influence on Nicholls growing team of young jockeys Freddie Gingell, Freddie Keighely and Jay Tidball.
He added: “Maybe a touch I can help, but Paul and Clifford do a fantastic job as it is. It is quite interesting how it works. I started with Sean (Bowen), Harry (Skelton) and Stan (Sheppard) and they are all doing great jobs now so it shows you the moulding Ditcheat can give you. To go back down there and be any bit of a part is always very nice.” It has been a long time since I’ve been down there so it will be nice to see how it has progressed.”
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