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Sam Thomas (jockey)
Sam Thomas (born 22 June 1984) is a retired Welsh National Hunt jockey who is now a horse trainer. He is best known for winning the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup with Denman. Across his career as a jockey, Thomas won 509 races and earnt £5.59 million prize money in Great Britain and a further €255,815 in the Republic of Ireland. Personal life Thomas was born in Abergavenny, Wales. He rode in point to points before graduating to race riding. Racing career Thomas began his racing career with David Evans in Wales. He primarily looked after the horses and took them to races. Thomas had his first runner at Exeter Racecourse, If And But on 20 December 2001. His first winner was Indian Summer at Ludlow Racecourse on 2 April 2003. Thomas joined Venetia Williams yard and by 20 he had ridden out his claim, and saw success with Limerick Boy winning the 2004 Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton Park and a Summer Cup at Uttoxeter Racecourse with Kock De La Vesvre. Thomas would later join Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100-120 lb., and physically fit. They are typically self-employed and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings. Jockeys are mainly male, though there are some well-known female jockeys too. The job has a very high risk of debilitating or life-threatening injuries. Etymology The word is by origin a diminutive of ''jock'', the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name ''John'', which is also used generically for "boy" or "fellow" (compare ''Jack'', ''Dick''), at least since 1529. A familiar instance of the use of the word as a name is in "Jockey of Norfolk" in Shakespeare's ''Richard III''. v. 3, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of ''The Guardian'' in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of ''The Guardian'' free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for ''The Guardian'' the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The editor-in-chief Katharine Viner succeeded Alan Rusbridger in 2015. Since 2018, the paper's main news ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Welsh Grand National
The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow Racecourse, Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 6½ furlongs (3 miles 6 furlongs and 130 yards, or 6,154 metres), and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped. It is a Handicap (horse racing), handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on 27 December. The race was first run in 1895, and it originally took place at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. It remained at this venue until the closure of the course in 1939. After World War II it was transferred to Newport Racecourse in 1948, and it was then moved to its present venue in 1949. Dick Francis, the famous jockey turned author, rode the first Chepstow winner of the race, Fighting Line. David Nicholson, later a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ffos Las Racecourse
The Ffos Las racecourse (''strictly'': Ffos Las Racecourse & Conference Centre) is a Welsh horse racing, equestrian sports and conferencing venue situated in Ffos Las, Wales. The Ffos Las racecourse was built at the site of an open cast coal mine after mining operations ceased. Development After the completion of the first phase of construction for a first race meeting in June 2009, the Ffos Las racecourse became the first new National Hunt racecourse to be built in the United Kingdom for 80 years, and Wales's third racecourse. Ffos Las Racecourse was built at a cost of £20 million. The racecourse development site is about in size and is located in a natural amphitheatre setting. The racetrack itself is an oval which is 12 furlongs in length and has a flat topography. The initial phase of the development was completed in 2009 and features: * Turf National Hunt & flat racing * Enclosure & Grandstand * Hotel, pub, restaurant, etc. * Technical Facilities * Betting Facilities * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Savills Chase
The Savills Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival meeting in late December. It was first run over its present distance in 1992, when it became known as the Ericsson Chase. This replaced an earlier event, the Black and White Whisky Champion Chase, which had been run mostly over 2½ miles since 1986. From 2004 to 2016 the race was sponsored by Lexus and run as the Lexus Chase. The company ended their sponsorship in November 2017 and the race was run as the Leopardstown Christmas Chase. In 2018 the property company Savills took over the sponsorship and the race was given its present title. Records Most successful horse (3 wins): * Beef or Salmon – ''200 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase
The John Durkan Memorial Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland. It is run over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs {2 miles 4 furlongs and 40 yards, or 4,060 metres) at Punchestown in December. The race was first run in 1968 and it was run over a distance of 2 miles until 1973. It has been run over the present distance since then apart from in 1993 and 1994, when it was run over 2 miles and 5 furlongs. The race was renamed in December 1998 in memory of John Durkan (1967-1998), an amateur jockey and assistant racehorse trainer who died of leukemia in January 1998. Records * Most successful horse (3 wins): * Min - ''2018, 2019, 2020'' Most successful jockey (4 wins): * Ruby Walsh - ''Arvika Ligeonniere (2013), Djakadam (2015, 2016), Min (2018)'' Most successful trainer (9 wins): * Willie Mullins - ''Florida Pearl (2001), Arvika Ligeonniere (2013), Djakadam (2015, 2016), Min (2018, 2019, 2020), Allaho (2021 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Republic Of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. Around 2.1 million of the country's population of 5.13 million people resides in the Greater Dublin Area. The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, St George's Channel to the south-east, and the Irish Sea to the east. It is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The legislature, the , consists of a lower house, ; an upper house, ; and an elected President () who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state, but with some important powers and duties. The head of government is the (Prime Minister, literally 'Chief', a title not used in English), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scilly Isles Novices' Chase
The Scilly Isles Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain, which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of around two miles and four furlongs (2 miles 4 furlongs 10 yards, or 4,033 metres). During its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February. It was sponsored by The Tote in 2011 and run as the Totepool Challengers Novices' Chase, and by Betfair in 2012 and run as the Betfair Novices' Chase. The 2013 running was sponsored by Betfred and run as the Betfred Mobile Lotto Challengers' Novice Chase. The Scilly Isles name was restored to the race title from 2014. The race was first run in 1964 and takes its name from the Scilly Isles, Surrey, an area near to Sandown Park racecourse. Prior to 1988 the distance of the race was 2 miles and 18 yards (3,2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry VIII Novices' Chase
The Henry VIII Novices' Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 119 yards, or 3,126 metres), and during its running there are thirteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in early December. The event is named after Henry VIII, who commandeered Esher (the location of Sandown Park) as a royal hunting ground in the sixteenth century. In its analysis of the 2007 running, the Racing Post described the Henry VIII Novices' Chase as: ''"A race that has a very high standing in the calendar thanks to the exploits of past winners and subsequent Grade 1 stars like Direct Route, Decoupage, Fondmort, Impek, Thisthatandtother, Contraband and Racing Demon."'' It was raised to Grade 1 status in 2011 having previously been contested at G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is dominated by a maritime climate with narrow temperature differences between seasons. The 60% smaller island of Ireland is to the west—these islands, along with over 1,000 smaller surrounding islands and named substantial rocks, form the British Isles archipelago. Connected to mainland Europe until 9,000 years ago by a landbridge now known as Doggerland, Great Britain has been inhabited by modern humans for around 30,000 years. In 2011, it had a population of about , making it the world's third-most-populous island after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan. The term "Great Britain" is often used to refer to England, Scotland and Wales, including their component adjoining islands. Great Britain and Northern Ireland now constitute the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Champion
Robert Champion (born 4 June 1948) is an English former jump jockey, who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph, while recovering from cancer, was made into the 1984 film ''Champions'', with John Hurt portraying Champion. The film is based on Champion's book ''Champion's Story'', which he wrote with close friend, racing journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Powell. Biography Champion was born in Sussex, but very soon after his birth the family moved to Guisborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire. At the height of his career as a jockey, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 1979. He was treated with an orchidectomy and with the chemotherapeutic drugs bleomycin, vinblastine and cisplatin, and also had an exploratory operation to identify cancer in his lymph nodes. His victory on Aldaniti was viewed by many as a great triumph, following his adversity. Their victory in the Grand National earned them that year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Buck's
Big Buck's (foaled 16 April 2003) is a retired National Hunt racehorse trained in Britain by Paul Nicholls. He is owned by businessman Andy Stewart and specialised in racing over hurdles. At the 2012 Cheltenham Festival, Big Buck's made history by winning his fourth consecutive World Hurdles, confirming his status as one of the greatest staying hurdlers in history. He was retired on 13 March 2014. Racing career 2006–2007 season Big Buck's raced thirteen times in France, recording two wins including the Grade II Prix Amadou at Auteuil Hippodrome. 2007–2008 season Big Buck's won the Mar-key Group Beginners' Chase beating the Queen's horse Barbers Shop. He then ran in the Bathwick Tyres Andover Novices' Chase and was just beaten by Moon Over Miami. He started the year with a win in the Mc Seafoods Novices' Chase ridden by Ruby Walsh, winning by 2 lengths. He then finished 3rd in the Kingmaker Novices' Chase and went to the Cheltenham Festival for the Jewson Novices' Han ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
