Nigel Twiston Davies

DOB: May 16, 1957

Nigel Twiston-Davies rode as an amateur for Fred Winter, Fred Rimell and Kim Bailey. As an amateur jockey, Twiston-Davies, rode 17 winners under Rules and gained a further 17 point-to-point victories, and also served as assistant trainer to Richard Head and Fred Rimell.

The Gloucestershire handler combined training as a permit holder with his farming interests throughout the 1980s, having his first winner with Last Of The Foxes (who he also rode) at Hereford in March, 1982.

He took out a full training licence in 1989, after the agricultural recession prompted him to make training his full-time profession recording his first win as a public trainer in December of that year with Babil at Newbury. As a childhood neighbour and friend of Peter Scudamore, he went into partnership 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.

Twiston-Davies has 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. An essentially shy man, he momentarily shocked Des Lynam after Earth Summit’s Grand National success in 1998 by telling the BBC presenter in front of millions of viewers “I don’t do interviews”. His 1,000th winner came at Stratford-on-Avon in October 2006.

Cheltenham Festival wins (10):

William Hill: 1992 Tipping Tim

Neptune: 1993 Gaelstrom, 2004 Fundamentalist

RSA Chase: 1993 Young Hustler

Spinal Research Supreme: 1994 Arctic Kinsman

JCB Triumph: 1998 Upgrade

Pertemps Final: 2000 Rubhahunish, 2008 Ballyfitz

NH Chase: 2009 Tricky Trickster

Ryanair: 2009 Imperial Commander