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photo: Sweet Photography

Last season's leading Rider, Thomas Greenall, is the latest to fall under the spotlight of Pilots in Profile.

Thomas Greenall, the eldest of Lord Daresbury's four jockey sons, was national Point-to-Point champion in 2008-9, his total of 56 winners equalling the record set by his younger brother Oliver the previous year. He is a former amateur National Hunt champion and has ridden 125 winners under Rules. At the start of the current season his tally between the flags was 74.

Date of birth: 6th November 1984

Job or profession: I'm just about to move into the Restaurant/Pub industry, which I've always wanted to do. I have been working for an IT company called Nasstar for the last two years.

Are you from a racing background? Yes. My father Peter was national champion three times. I always wanted to be a jockey, and I loved hunting, with which the family have always been involved.

What was your first ride in public? Double Rich at the Middleton at Whitwell-on-the-Hill in 2002. It was actually my first winner as well. I didn't know what I was going to be riding until I got to the track. David Easterby had two runners and the huntsman of the Middleton was put on the first string. Luckily for me he made a mistake at the ditch, losing his irons and about 20 lengths in the process. Even though the Easterby entourage lost all their money I wasn't complaining!

What has been your most memorable ride? Riding in the Grand National twice, on Glenelly Gale for Arthur Moore in 2005 and Sonevafushi for Venetia Williams in 2007, and finishing sixth in the 2006 Champion Hurdle on Briareus for Ian Balding were great days, but winning the Aintree Fox Hunters on Trust Fund last year topped it all. He was an armchair ride.

Is there a ride you look back on and think "could have done better?" Jumping off Pertemps Networks when we were five lengths clear at the second last in the 2008 Scottish Triumph Hurdle was impressive. It was a long drive home.

For which trainers to you mainly ride? David Easterby and Cherry Coward.

Who has been most influential on your riding career so far? Mick Easterby. His racing knowledge is immense and he is the best race reader I have come across. Russ Garritty was brilliant at teaching young lads to ride a race.

Which are your favourite courses? And for what reasons? You can ride a race at Dalton Park, Garthorpe has great fences and does a fantastic job with the ground and I enjoyed Umberleigh last year. I am looking forward to going in a few weeks time and hopefully Jake [his youngest brother] will still be in with a shout at the title.

Name your perfect night in and perfect night out: In - I like getting a curry take away from Akbars in York. Out - top restaurant and then a night club.

Where do you like to go on holiday? Switzerland, Ibiza and Norfolk.

What's currently on your iPod? Lots - it's pretty much all electronic/dance music with some classical mixed in there as well.

What are your favourite films and TV programmes? I saw "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" last week and loved that. Both "Ace Ventura" and "The Pink Panther" (with Peter Sellers) have me in stitches the whole way through.

What has been either your own funniest incident, or the most amusing thing you have seen or heard at the races? I rode in a bumper at Catterick one day during a snowstorm. Turning into the home straight Paddy Aspell was a bit too far to the left and ended up jumping a Chase fence.

Who are your biggest heroes in racing? I can never remember meeting W.A.Stephenson but from everything I have heard he sounds like a hero.

Which particular horse (in any discipline) would you like to ride? The best show jumpers in the world do it for me. As long as I could borrow them to go hunting.

Apart from race-riding, in what other sports do you participate? Golf, tennis, water-skiing and normal skiing.

Do you have any regrets in your riding career to date? I should have won a hunter chase on Kings Boy for David Easterby at Cheltenham when I was still at school. He told me not to hit the front until after the last........ I got caught close home.

What ambitions do you have in racing? Not many, I just want to keep enjoying it. Hopefully Oliver, Jake and I will be riding in the Champion Hunter Chase at Stratford this year which would be great. I am also really excited about hopefully riding some winners for Oliver next year when he starts training. He'll have a Pointing yard next to Tom Dascombe's stables in Cheshire.

What is your opinion on December racing? January is too early for me never mind December.

What are your opinions on the changes in Point-to-Pointing in recent years, and what changes do you think would benefit the sport in the future? I want licenced trainers to be able to run horses in Point-to-Points. I am sure there are mixed feelings about this but I really think it would take Pointing to the next level. For me the most exciting thing about the sport is starting off young horses in Points and seeing them progress under Rules. The swing is far too great in the other direction.

One final thing is that we must keep the weights high. The problem with running four-year-olds is that the more experienced jockeys often have to do overweight on them. Let's get the weights up for them like they have in Ireland.

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