Dental entrepreneur triumphant in Gold Cup
Dental entrepreneur, Sam Waley-Cohen, has scooped one of racing’s most prestigious awards, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Mr Waley-Cohen used to work as a city trader but quit to become an entrepreneur; he opened his own group of dental practices known as the Portman Health Group and after finishing seventh in the Grand National in 2007, vowed to concentrate on his professional career, rather than racing. However, just four years later, Waley-Cohen romped home on Long Run, the 7-2 favourite, to claim the Gold Cup title.
The victory was a first by an amateur jockey in over thirty years and Long Run was also the first six year old horse to win the race since 1963. Long Run was in third place in the closing stages of the race, with previous winner, Kauto Star and stable-mate Denman leading the charge; however, youth triumphed over experience and Long Run eventually eclipsed the other two horses and finished around seven lengths ahead.
Sam Waley-Cohen had received criticism before the race, with some claiming that he lacked the experience, expertise and stamina to ride a horse to victory in the Gold Cup; however, the young amateur proved his critics wrong in some style, showing that all the training in between meetings, rides around city parks during lunchtimes and training on a mechanical horse at home, was worth the effort.
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