The race to be Champion Flat Jockey kicked off at Newmarket’s Guineas Festival.
The country’s top riders will battle it out for the prestigious title over the next five-and-a-half months.
Rossa Ryan
Last year, Rossa firmly established himself in the top bracket of Flat jockeys.
Not only did the 24-year-old finish runner-up in the race to be Champion but he also registered by-far the biggest win of his career.
That came when landing the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Bluestocking.
Her trainer, Ralph Beckett, is sure to provide plenty of firepower again this season. That will give Rossa a huge amount of big-race opportunities but also a good number of winners as he chases his first Champion Jockey title.
Clive Cox, Alan King and Mick Appleby are among other trainers likely to offer significant backing.
Billy Loughnane
It’s incredible to think Billy is still a teenager.
He seems to been around an awful lot longer that but it’s only two years since he won the Champion Apprentice Title after bursting on the scene as fresh-faced 16-year-old.
It was soon obvious Billy was more than good enough to mix it with the best.
He heads into this season as Champion All-Weather Jockey after a very successful winter, despite spending some of it riding in Australia.
This season, the 19-year-old will officially ride as number one jockey to George Boughey’s powerful stable.
That will provide Billy with a good base to launch his bid to be Champion Jockey. His dad Mark will be among other supporters, with Charlie Johnston and Ian Williams likely to be among other trainers keen to use the youngster’s services.
William Buick
William could hardly have dreamed of a better start to the season.
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby’s number one rider won both of the opening Classics of the season for his boss.
He landed the 2000 Guineas on Ruling Court before returning to Newmarket the following day to guide Desert Flower to victory in the 1000 Guineas.
A total of five winners across the opening two days of the season gave William the perfect start.
His focus will be on more big-race success both at home and abroad but the volume of winners he is likely to ride makes him a contender for the Champion Jockey title he won in successive years in 2022 and 2023.
Tom Marquand
Now firmly established as one of the top global riders, Tom will again be in demand as he chases his first Flat Jockeys’ Championship.
He spent part of the winter riding big-race winners in Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai and Australia.
Now back on home soil he will be looking to better last year’s third-place finish in the race to be Champion Jockey.
He rode 103 winners last season and only Oisin Murphy took more rides.
William Haggas will have first claim on Tom, who will also receive plenty of support from the likes of Ed Walker and Mick Appleby.
He’s not certain to even finish ahead of his wife, Hollie Doyle, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a live contender for the Champion Jockey’s crown.
Hollie Doyle
If British racing is to have its first female Champion Jockey then it is likely to be Hollie.
She has helped women riders become a fixture on the biggest stage during the summer months.
Among the most prolific jockeys over the last five years, Hollie will again have the backing of Archie Watson’s increasingly-powerful stable.
Marco Botti, Alan King, Tony Caroll and Jayne Chapple-Hyam are among a whole host of trainers likely to use her services during the season.
Her victory on Bradsell in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York last summer was her ninth Group 1 victory.
Hollie has been smashing records most of her career and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if she broke new ground in lifting the Champion Jockey’s Crown on Qipco British Champions Day.
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