Sam's day at the races

Less than six months ago he was an unknown amateur jockey with Ross-on-Wye trainer Venetia Williams.

Now he is chasing the Conditional Jockeys' title and being talked about as a future National Hunt champion jockey in the mould of Tony McCoy.

The 19-year-old son of two Abergavenny school heads gained by far the biggest of his 27 successes so far when he rode Limerick Boy to a 14-1 triumph in the £50,000 Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton last weekend.

The win formed part of a superb double as he had earlier won the Pacemaker Magazine Handicap Hurdle on 10-1 chance Cotopaxi.

Limerick Boy will bid to pull off a big handicap double in the Tote Gold Trophy while Thomas is also now contemplating his first rides at the prestigious National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham next month and hopefully in the world's greatest steeplechase, the Grand National, at Aintree in April.

It's an amazing Boy's Own story and the former King Henry V11 Comprehensive School pupil admits: "If somebody had told me at the start of the season things would go this well I would not have believed it.

"To think I might actually be riding at the Cheltenham Festival is brilliant. "It's all happened so fast that I still have to pinch myself."

Thomas is not from a racing background and explained: "When I had a pony from the age of six I always used to watch racing on TV and then I'd pretend to be a jockey over the field.

"We also used to go watching point-to-points whenever we could.

"I didn't model myself on anyone in particular. My style is basically my own and a natural one, but I have taken a lot of notice of jockeys like Ruby Walsh and Timmy Murphy in terms of race tactics."

He might be forgiven for thinking the racing game is easy, but he's not that stupid.

"The environment I'm in, with all the other jockeys around you, means you can't let it go to your head or they'll soon put you back in your place," he said.

"I'm fairly level headed and I'll just keep my head down and keep working away.

"I know it's a hard route to the top and that, as in a race, it's not the start that counts but the finish."

He feels he can win the Conditional Jockeys' Championship, even though he remains six behind current leader Dominic Elsworth and a few behind one or two others.

"I definitely think I can catch them. If I can stay injury free I should be in with a shout, but if I don't manage it this year there's always next year."

He's hoping his agent Dave Roberts, the best in the country, will help him by getting him some rides for other stables, but it won't be easy.

"I have my duties with Venetia Williams so it's not always easy to get away as I have to be there whenever she needs me," he said.

In fact, despite his success, he still has to do the mundane duties such as mucking out five horses every morning from 7am before riding out work, two or three lots, and then going racing.

"If we don't go racing, we work in the yard as normal like a stable lad, and in the evening as well. But it's all worthwhile when you get a few decent mounts," he added.

One of those is Limerick Boy, who is also entered for the Champion Hurdle.

"I think I'll keep the ride if he goes there, but he's entered in a lot of other big races and no decision has been made yet," said Thomas.

"But with a bit of luck I should have a few mounts at Cheltenham (where he is already a winner), with maybe an outside ride or two.

"As for the Grand National, there may be a chance of an outside ride and Venetia usually has a couple of entries. That's a race I definitely want to win one day.

"A lot of jockeys don't really care what they ride in that race as long as they get one and I would be the same. The jockeys say there's nothing like it." As for ambition, like any other young rider Thomas hopes to be champion jockey one day.

"It will be tough with Tony McCoy around but maybe in five or six years, who knows," he said.

Meanwhile, he intends enjoying the good times while they last. "I've had a great run so far and I'd love it to last for ever, but I know it won't," he said.