Dentist turned global superstar, amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen has made leaps and bounds since his arrival in the horse racing scene this year. Rarely can someone boast winning one of the greatest horse races at the greatest horse racing festival whilst riding their father’s horse, especially whilst being an amateur – but Sam can.
A dentist at heart, Sam Waley-Cohen gets minimal chance to ride competitively in-between managing a full time dentist practice. If he’s lucky, he’ll be booked to ride one of champion trainer Nicky Henderson’s horses a few times a week – if not, it’s back to training on the mechanical exercise horse in his living room. Determination soon paid off, as he became the first amateur jockey in three decades to win the £475k-rated Cheltenham Gold Cup on the prestigious Long Run, just months after the pair scooped the King George VI Chase beating home the legendary Kauto Star.
The feat was almost repeated as Sam finished second aboard Oscar Time in a 40-strong field at the John Smith’s Grand National back in April. Just months after riding countless point-to-point races, the 30-year-old amateur is now one of the hottest properties in the business. Although jump racing is a jockey’s worst nightmare – as Sam puts it, “a field of broken hearts more than dreams” – Sam Waley-Cohen has broken through effortlessly, and with a fine 2011 form the amateur is quickly becoming a formidable force in the horse-racing scene.
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