LIFE just seems to be getting better and better for Sam Waley-Cohen, who fulfilled his wildest dreams when Long Run galloped to glory in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, writes Russell Smith.

The 28-year-old amateur rider was overjoyed after the gelding, who is owned by his father, Robert, from Edge Hill, near Banbury, stormed to a famous victory from former champions Denman and Kauto Star in a track record time.

“This is a very emotional mo-ment,” said Sam, who is the first amateur to win chasing’s Blue Riband since Jim Wilson partnered Little Owl to victory 30 years ago.

“The horse jumped awesomely and was very brave. I didn’t know whether I was coming or going at some of the fences.

“I asked him a lot of questions and he answered them all. It’s a surreal moment, sometimes achieving your dreams is difficult to comprehend.”

It continued an amazing year for Sam after the six-year-old Long Run, who is trained by Nicky Henderson at Lambourn, had captured the King George VI Chase at Kempton in January.

The amateur jockey, who is based at Fulham in London from where he runs the Portman Healthcare dental group, may have had a privileged upbringing.

But his success also comes again-st a background of tragedy as his brother, Thomas, died aged 20 from cancer in 2004, and now has a ward at Oxford Children’s Hospital named in his memory.

He remains an inspiration to Sam, who, as always, rode Long Run with Thomas’s initials sewn into his saddle.

Waley-Cohen is set to partner live hope Oscar Time in the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on Saturday, April 9.

Then he is a guest at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middle-ton – he is in their close circle of friends and is even attributed with reuniting the couple after their brief split in 2007 on April 29.

To cap it all he marries fiancée Annabel Ballin in June.