SAM Twiston-Davies registered his 1000th winner in Britain and Ireland, with a double in the last two races at Southwell.
Twiston-Davies has brought up the landmark figure in quick time, having burst on to the scene as a teenager in 2010 when winning the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham on his father Nigel’s Baby Run .
As a 21-year-old, Twiston-Davies landed the plum job as stable jockey for Paul Nicholls, replacing Daryl Jacob.
He reached his milestone tally courtesy of trainer Dr Richard Newland, who on Sunday supplied him with both 100/30 shot Nordican Bleue and then half-an-hour later winning 10/11 favourite Chef De Troupe.
1000 winners for @samtwiston!
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 23, 2019
Nordican Bleue brings up the big milestone at @Southwell_Races! pic.twitter.com/KOVtVBiSDx
There was fleeting confusion when Twiston-Davies himself insisted the first of those successes was merely his 999th winner – contrary to the sums of others. But when Chef De Troupe also obliged he was able to celebrate four figures for sure.
The 26-year-old told Sky Sports Racing: “Obviously, it’s great. There are so many good lads out there, and when I started if you’d told me I’d have done this at the age I am I wouldn’t have believed you.
“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 were amazing.
“I’m a very lucky boy.”
“I’ve been supported by some great people. I’m a really lucky boy" - @samtwiston tells @V_Binnie_Ryle after riding his 1,000th winner. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/QmuFCh1W4q
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 23, 2019
Twiston-Davies’ biggest win for Nicholls came on Dodging Bullets in the 2015 Queen Mother Champion Chase – and he duly nominated that as one of his career highlights to date.
“Hello Bud’s second Becher (Chase), he was the main man – how many 14-year-olds win races, let alone Bechers, so that was very special and an emotional one in dad’s colours.
“Then obviously you always remember your first feature one of the Cheltenham (Festival) races – so the Queen Mother on Dodging Bullets was a very special day.”
Twiston-Davies is pinching himself at being in the same statistical bracket – or even ahead, in some cases – as many of his heroes in the saddle.
He added: “Richard Johnson would be a hero of mine, and obviously AP (McCoy) and so many before them – Carl Llewellyn was an absolute legend.
“To ride more winners than Carl is scary, because I know how good he was – and all the advice he has handed down to me and (my brother) Willie throughout our careers.”