David Wells

David Wells

Article by Alan Trout

A conditional jockey with former leading point-to-point and hunter chase rider Richard Shepherd, David Wells made his race-riding debut as one of 25 jockeys taking part in the Grunwick N.H. Flat Race at Market Rasen on September 29, 1984. Sent off among the 33-1 outsiders, they duly finished tailed off, along with several others.

Richard Shepherd also provided David with his first winner when Fearless Imp, despite making mistakes, made virtually all the running to take the Climping Conditional Jockeys’ Chase at Fontwell Park on February 3, 1986. It was David’s second, and last, ride that season on the 11-year-old who went on to finish seventh of nine finishers in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham under Robert Stronge, performing creditably enough for a 300-1 rank outsider. 

Although David failed to ride a winner the following season, he did have one more success when Legal Sugar, trained by Peter J. Jones, for whom he was now riding, took the lead at the ninth fence and, despite nearly running out at the next, came clear to take the Buckden Selling Handicap Chase at Huntingdon on Whit Monday, May 30, 1988 by ten lengths. The pair had only managed one fourth place in their three previous starts together but they finally enjoyed their moment in the sun.