Three way battle for 'Cock O' The North' Title

Features | 4^th November 2020

Three Yorkshire-based jockeys are going head to head for the traditional ‘Cock O’ The North’ title, with the winner set to be crowned at Doncaster this Saturday.

The Cock O’ The North title is awarded to the jockey with the most amount of winners in Flat races at Northern-based racecourses, concluding at Doncaster’s November Handicap this coming Saturday 7^th November.

Ben Curtis currently leads the way on 69 wins, closely followed by Daniel Tudhope on 68 wins, and Kevin Stott is one further behind on 67 wins.

All three jockeys currently have rides at the final fixtures contributing to the title – firstly at Newcastle this Friday and then at Doncaster on Saturday. The winner will be formally presented with the traditional Cock O’ The North winners’ cap at Doncaster.

Cock O’ The North standings

Accurate as of 12:00pm 4th November

Jockey	Wins
Ben Curtis	69
Daniel Tudhope	68
Kevin Stott	67
Paul Mulrennan	62
David Allan	57

The Top 3 contenders

Ben Curtis

Ben Curtis has had a fantastic season throughout the UK but especially up in the North. The Irishman had three Group 3 wins in June, two of which added to his Cock O’ The North tally – the Pavilion Stakes and Sagaro Stakes at Newcastle.

Classy stayer! St Leger third Nayef Road wins the Group 3 @Betway Sagaro Stakes for @Johnston_Racing and @_benacurtis at @NewcastleRaces pic.twitter.com/xwlRPmbddP
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 6, 2020

Outside of the northern tracks, Curtis claimed big winners with Dandalla in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and later in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

Curtis will be hoping he can add another title to his name in 2020 after winning the All-Weather Championship in April. He has three rides at Newcastle on Friday and seven at Doncaster on Saturday to try and maintain his advantage over rivals for the Cock O’ The North title.

Danny Tudhope

Danny Tudhope’s biggest day up north in 2020 was in the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup Stakes on board Eagles By Day and he followed up with listed success later that afternoon at York.

Tudhope has been a model of consistency of over many years – he has after all the won the Cock O’ The North title for the last four years.

Tudhope said: “It would be great to come out on top in this again. Ben and Kevin and I all live near each other and it has created some extra competitiveness between the three of us. It builds more excitement to the end of the season and hopefully I can come out on top.”

Tudhope has seven rides at Newcastle and Doncaster to make up the deficit and regain his title.

Kevin Stott

Kevin Stott has had a breakthrough year, winning the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (QIPCO British Champions Series) on board Hello Youmzain at Royal Ascot which showed what a talented jockey he is.

Stott also made history at Royal Ascot becoming the first Danish jockey to win a Group 1.

Stott has had the most prolific year of his young career with 77 winners and 67 have come at northern tracks which shows how successful he’s been there.

The Kevin Ryan stable jockey has six rides to clinch the Cock O’ The North title including five rides at Newcastle and one at Doncaster in the shape of Group 1 winner Brando.

The Northern racecourses below feature in the Cock O’ The North competition: