The Trainer - Nigel Twiston-Davies
Nigel Twiston-Davies initially combined training as a permit-holder with his farming interests throughout the 1980s, having his first winner with Last Of The Foxes at Hereford in March 1982, before the agricultural recession prompted him to make training his full-time profession. He took out a full training licence in 1989, recording his first win as a public trainer in December of that year with Babil at Newbury. He has since gone on to register more than 1,200 successes. Born on May 16 1957, Twiston-Davies rode as an amateur jockey for Fred Winter, Fred Rimell and Kim Bailey riding 17 winners under Rules and gained a further 17 point-to-point victories and served as assistant trainer to Richard Head and Fred Rimell. A childhood friend and neighbour of Peter Scudamore, he went into partnership with with the former champion jump jockey to set up stables at Grange Hill Farm, Naunton, Gloucestershire, although Scudamore is no longer involved in the venture, having teamed up with Denis Caro in 2002 and then his father Michael. Twiston-Davies adopted and developed the pioneering techniques of Martin Pipe, such as interval training and regular blood tests for his string, enabling him to rapidly raise his profile among the training ranks. He is the only current trainer to have won the Grand National more than once, saddling Earth Summit to victory in 1998 and Bindaree four years later. The 2001/2002 campaign had been relatively quiet by Twiston Davies' high standards before Bindaree provided him with his second John Smith's Grand National success. Afterwards he revealed that he had been intending to give up training, but depite "having a bigger debt than Argentina" after buying out Scudamore, the Aintree victory made him have a change of heart. An essentially shy man, he mometarily shocked Des Lynam after Earth Summit's Grand National success in 1998 by telling the BBC presenter in fron t of millions of viewers "I don't do interviews". His 1,000th winner came at Stratford in October 2006. (See Statistics page for full details). Twiston-Davies has had 13 successes at the Cheltenham Festival, gaining three victories on the final day of the 2010 festival, with Imperial Commander showing his best form ever to win the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, Baby Run capturing the Christie's Foxhunter Chase under 17 year old son Sam and Pigeon Island taking the last race, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase. This followed a double with Imperial Commander in the Ryanair Chase and Tricky Trickster in the National Hunt Chase in 2009. Other big race successes include the bet365 Gold Cup with Beau , the Hennessey Gold Cup with King's Road, the SCottish National with Captain Dibble (1992), Earth Summit (1994) and Little Bud (2009), and the Welsh Grand National with Earth Summit (1997) and Bindaree (2003). His best season numerically was the 2007/08 campaign when the stable enjoyed 87 victories. He was the leading trainer at Cheltenham this season before The Festival and his three wins yesterday have just emphasised that position.
NIGEL TWISTON-DAVIES' 13 WINNERS AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL
1992 - William Hill Handicap Chase: Tipping Tim
1993 - Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle: Gaelstrom, RSA Chase: Young Hustler
1994 - Spinal Research Supreme Novices Hurdle: Arctic Kinsman
1998 - Triumph Hurdle: Upgrade
2000 - Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle: Rubhahunish
2004 - Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle: Fundamentalist
2008 - Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle: Ballyfitz
2009 - Ryanair Chase: Imperial Commander, National Hunt Chase: Tricky Trickster
2010 - Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup: Imperial Commander, Christie's Foxhunter Chase Challenge Cup: Baby Run, Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Handicap:
Pigeon Island
