Many relatively unsuccessful jockeys go on to become great trainers - Paul Nichols and David Elsworth spring to mind - and so it was with Clive Cox.
Born on May 14, 1964, he came from a farming background in Bristol, Somerset. His family then moved to Bridgewater.
Clive was just under seven stone when he left school. His grandfather was already involved with horseracing, having horses in training with Ken Cundell. Eventually, Clive went to work for Ken's son, Peter.
Clive's first winner (on the very last day of the 1981 season) was at Doncaster on Swift Palm. He beat John Lowe by a short head.
His second - and last - winner on the Flat came for Ken Cundell: Blow My Top, the 10/1 winner of the Holiday Stakes at Bath on 25 August 1982.
Increasing weight signalled the end of Charlie's hopes of a Flat career: instead, he moved to the West Country to join trainer Stuart Pattermore.
He got off to a brilliant start: Akram, his first ride for Stuart, won a hurdle at Exeter and Clive followed this up by winning on his first ride over fences as well.
Next port of call was to Oliver Sherwood's yard after taking advice from Sherwood's head lad, Chris Clarke.
It was here that he became acquainted with that good horse, Sacred Path.
Again, it was a brilliant start for a new stable.
Clive won on him, his first ride for Oliver, at Warwick on 29 November 1984.
Recalling the race later, Clive said: 'I jumped the second last three lengths clear, then dropped my stick. It was probably the best thing that could have happened as I learnt later that the horse resented the stick and may he pulled himself up.'
It was the start of a great partnership: together they won at Lingfield, Southwell and Cheltenham and, having been off the course for a year with an injury, returned to win Warwick's Crudwell Cup.
Their next race together was to be the Grand National.
Sacred Path was a mudlark, and set to carry bottom-weight (10 stone). On the eve of the race, the heaven's opened and it absolutely poured down.
Grand National morning, and the rain continued.
Now a huge public gamble was beginning. People only wanted to back one horse; Sacred Path.
Its odds dropped from 14/1 to 17/2.
Sacred Path, now favourite, jumped off with the rest, but it was a false start and the runners were recalled. The field got away at the second time of asking and Sacred Path and Clive sailed effortlessly over the first.
Unfortunately, he had overjumped and crumpled on landing.
Clive remarked later that it had felt like a bad dream and that he wanted to wake up and start again.
To make things worse - if that were possible - his wife, Tina, had her handbag stolen while watching the race.
Clive's career ended shortly after.
He had peaked with 33 winners in the 85/86 season and realised that it was all downhill from there. He had ridden just less than 100 winners.
He began concentrating on the livery yard where he broke horses in with Tina. He then became assistant trainer for Mikie Heaton-Ellis at Barbury Castle, in Wiltshire. When Mikie passed away in 1999, Clive took out his own training licence. He moved to Beechdown Stables, Lambourn the following spring.
Fast forward 20 years, and Clive Cox has established himself as one of Britain’s leading trainers.
New Seeker, who won the 2003 Britannia Stakes, was Clive’s first major victory as a trainer. In In 2010, Gilt Edge Girl, ridden by Luke Morris, gave him his first Group One success when landing the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc Day.
Since then, the likes of Reckless Abandon, Profitable, My Dreamboat, Lethal Force and Harry Angel have all given Clive Group One success.
In 2020 Clive celebrated his ninth Royal Ascot win and tenth Group One success, with the victory of Golden Horde in the Commonwealth Cup.
There is sure to be much more top-level glory to come.
