Jump jockey David Bentley was born on January 25, 1970. He spent the first nine years of his life in Bermuda before coming to England with his family. He and his younger brother Nick went to school in Bristol. The brothers were taken racing at an early age by their father, Geoff, and becoming jump jockeys was always their aim.
David rode as a conditional for Micky Hammond at Middleham but also rode winners for a number of other trainers including Pat Haslam, John Wade, John Edwards and Kate Walton. In October 1992, when still a 7lb claimer, he won three handicap hurdles in a row on the Chris Thornton-trained Able Player, the first at Southwell, the other two at Wetherby. He finished that 1992/93 campaign having ridden nine winners.
His first winner of the following season was gained on John Wade’s Chief Raider in the Frenchie Nicholson Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham on September 30, 1993. He won three times on Micky Hammond’s handicap hurdler Reluctant Suitor that season, firstly at Newcastle and then twice at Edinburgh.
David enjoyed his most successful season in 1994/95 with a score of 20 wins. He kicked off the campaign with Micky Hammond’s claiming hurdler Sakura at Perth in August. On January 20, 1995, he registered a double at Catterick on Jumbo Wilkinson’s novice hurdler Ingletonian and the Hammond-trained chaser Valiant Warrior. On May 11 he won the John Wade Group of Companies Selling Handicap Hurdle Series Final on Croxdale Grey.
In the late 1990s, David decided to try his luck in America. He enjoyed a fair measure of success there, riding in some of the biggest American jump races, including those at Saratoga. He won four hurdle races on Tres Touch for leading trainer Ricky Hendricks.
On December 19, 2001, he rode Tres Touche in the Relkeel Hurdle at Newbury (the race had been moved to Newbury after Cheltenham had been abandoned the previous weekend), finishing third.
David made his home in America and is now a dual-purpose trainer of steeplechasers and Flat horses, trading as Bentley Racing, based at Fair Hill Training Centre at Elkton, Maryland.
