Nigel’s ready to be King for a day
IF Bristol De Mai gives trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies a first victory in the 32Red King George VI Chase, it will fill a rare gap in the record of a man who has trained the winner of virtually every major steeplechase.
But he is not certain to o truly enjoy the moment nt until he is back in his car ar heading home to his is beloved Cotswolds, away ay from the Kempton crowds ds and media scrum.
Despite two Grand nd National triumphs with th Bindaree and Earth th Summit, success in the he Cheltenham Gold Cup with th Imperial Commander and a clutch of big-name horses that have passed through his care, Twiston- Davies remains uncomfortable in the limelight. He insists he still would be more comfortable doing something else.
Twiston- Davies, who is closing in on 2,000 career winners, said: ‘I never wanted to be a trainer. I was going to be a farmer. When farming went bad, I had to start training. I have been very lucky it has all gone very well.
‘I’d always prefer the farming even now but I haven’t got enough acres to make a living.
‘I much prefer winning the small races with horses you think can’t win. With the big races, your life is taken away from you. You have to talk to this person and that person.
YYou can’t ’t really ll have h much hf fun but I am getting better at it.’
Making it easier to cope has been the involvement of two sons, Sam and Willy.
Despite being No 1 jockey to 10- time champion trainer Paul Nicholls, Sam still rides regularly for his father while Willy, having quit riding after a bad injury last year, is playing an increasingly important role at the family stable.
‘Ever since the boys started riding it has all helped,’ said Twiston-Davies. ‘Now Willy is at home, it’s nice to have him back. He will take over one day. It makes me feel good, everything will be in safe hands when I pop my clogs.
‘They both know what I am like and take the stress off me by talking to people. They’re very good PR boys for me.’ What Wh t is i not ti in doubt d bt is i that th t the th Twiston-Davies ship is a very happy one and results on the track reflect that.
His 47 wins this season include the Becher Chase at Aintree with Grand National ante-post favourite Blaklion and both the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and Betfair Chase at Haydock with Bristol De Mai.
That last win means Bristol De Mai is now the only horse eligible to pick up the £1million put up by the Jockey Club if he can win this afternoon and then land the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
The French-bred grey sixyearold, owned by Isaac Souede and Simon Munir — Twiston- Davies’s biggest patrons — and ridden by their retained jockey Daryl Jacob, ploughed through heavy Ha Haydock ground that da day and beat some of to today’s rivals by more th than 60 lengths. T Twiston-Davies has ba batted away suggestions tio that his runner will wi not be as effective in the less arduous KemptonK conditions.
The trainer said: ‘He moves like a good ground horse. He just has huge strength and can plough through m most things. Kempton should not be a worry to him.
‘He won a good race on the bridle at Haydock and it did not seem to take anything out of him. He is in the form of his life.’
Twiston- Davies has had strong King George contenders before. Young Hustler was fourth in both 1993 and 1994, as was Beau in 2000.
But since Imperial Commander blew his chance with a second-fence blunder when fifth to Kauto Star in 2009, his only runner has been 50-1 shot Double Ross, who failed to finish in 2014.
Twiston-Davies added: ‘It has not been the kindest race to us. Imperial Commander was unlucky when he was probably the best horse around at the time. I am ambitious — it kills you when you don’t win. Hopefully, it will work out this time. I have huge confidence in Bristol De Mai.’