Buick First To The Century Mark

Features | 15^th August 2022

William Buick celebrated his 100th winner of the season when he booted home a double on Newmarket’s Friday night card.

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby’s number one rider won on Bold Act and Lenormand to bring up the landmark with both victories coming on horses trained by his boss.

It was the quickest William has made it to three figures for the season as he continues to race away with the Flat Jockeys’ Championship.

In becoming the first rider to hit the hundred mark for winners this season, he stretched his lead in the race to be champion jockey over Hollie Doyle to 31.

The 34-year-old now looks likely to be crowned champion Flat jockey for the first time after narrowly finishing runner-up last season following a Titanic battle with Oisin Murphy.

He is well ahead of schedule to beat last year’s personal-best tally. William reached three figures for the season on August 30 before going on to end the campaign with 151 winners.

This year started off with frustration but it has kept getting better and better. On the opening day of the season, William partnered Native Trail in the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

The decision was understandable considering he was siding with last year’s champion two-year-old from Appleby’s two runners, but the pair were passed by stablemate Coroebus – ridden by his great friend James Doyle – in the closing stages of the Newmarket Classic.

Native Trail made up for it with an easy victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas, six days after Modern Games had given William another Group 1 success in the French version of the Classic.

He was back on board Coroebus when he landed the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes – one of five Royal Ascot winners for the runaway jockeys’ championship leader

Another six victories at the Qatar Goodwood Festival – including a trio of Group 3 successes – made him the meeting’s top jockey for the second year in succession.

In recent weeks the Derby-winning rider has shone on the international stage.First, in France, he partnered star filly Saffron Beach to land the Group 1 Prix Rothschild at the prestigious Deauville racing festival.

Then he jetted off to America and returned with victories in both the Saratoga Derby and Saratoga Oaks on horses trained by Appleby. It was more proof that William, born in Norway, is firmly established as one of the world’s top jockeys.

Even international stars don’t get everything their own way, however. He finished runner-up on three of his four rides at Lingfield’s all-weather track on just his second day back riding in Britain after his fruitful American trip.

Those frustrations are unlikely to linger long as William powers towards his first title and the huge honour of being called champion Flat jockey.