Nick Townsend catches up with top jockey turned trainer Sam Thomas

Sam Thomas would not be alone in making a rewarding transition from partnering top class equine talent to training it. Yet, the Welshman readily admits that he barely gave such a second career a second thought when he rode for the likes of Venetia Williams and Paul Nicholls.
“Yes, definitely, I had no ambition to be a trainer when I was riding,” concedes the 38-year-old. “I didn’t take in much of what was going on in many of the yards. I was very much focussing on the job at the time.”
Rather more than just “a job”, it will ...