Fresh off finishing third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year poll on Sunday, jockey Hollie Doyle, who rode her 150th winner of the season earlier in the day at Lingfield, won three awards at the virtual Lesters Awards on Tuesday evening. Named the Flat Jockey of the Year, as well as the Female Jockey of the Year and the Flat Jockey Special Recognition Winner, Doyle's 150th winner was Darwell Lion (Ire) (The Last Lion {Ire}) in the fourth race. Doyle is the first female jockey to win Flat Jockey of the Year and only the second jockey to win three Lesters in a single year after Paul Hanagan in 2010. The awards were presented by the Professional Jockeys Association in association with Sky Sports Racing.
Other Lesters winners are as follows:
- Apprentice Jockey of the Year–Cieren Fallon, Jr. (second year in a row)
- Conditional Jockey of the Year–Jonjo O'Neill, Jr. (second year in a row)
- Flat Ride of the Year-Dylan Hogan aboard Wanaasah (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) at Wolverhampton on Jan. 15, 2020.
- Jump Ride of the Year-Jack Tudor with Potters Corner (Ire) (Indian Danehill {Ire}) at Chepstow on Dec. 27, 2019
- Jump Jockey Special Recognition Winner-Leighton Aspell
- Jump Jockey of the Year-Brian Hughes
- President's Special Award-Dr. Jerry Hill, BHA Chief Medical advisor
Paul Struthers, chief executive of the PJA, said, “The Lesters are always a special occasion and in the absence of being able to hold an actual ceremony we can't thank Sky Sports Racing enough for agreeing to host this live special as well as Racing TV for assisting us with the rides of the year footage.
“We're delighted for all the winners and hope it clearly demonstrates to them the regard and esteem in which they are held by their peers. Hollie's achievement in becoming only the second jockey in Lesters history to win three awards in a year, and becoming the first female jockey to be crowned Flat Jockey of the Year, should not be downplayed.
“We were also delighted to be able to recognise Jerry's work through the Special President's Award. As well as overseeing improvements in the medical care of jockeys, including the expansion of on-course physiotherapy and offering one-to-one advice and support to jockeys who are hospitalised, his tireless and ongoing efforts to get us back racing whilst ensuring the health and safety of the sports participants, hasn't gone unnoticed by our members and this was their way of saying thank you.”
In 2020, Doyle already broke her own record for most winners in a calendar year by a female jockey, as well as winning two races on QIPCO British Champions Day, among them her first Group 1 with Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 British Champions Sprint S. Earlier in the year she was aboard Scarlet Dragon (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) for a first win by a female jockey at Royal Ascot. Doyle also became the first woman to ride a winner in the Longines International Jockeys Championship in Hong Kong earlier this month.
Doyle told Sky Sports Racing, “It's great to get to 150. To get the 100 up was a relief, but to get 150 is different class–I didn't think it would happen this year. The Group 1 on Champions Day is the biggest highlight of the year for me. Hopefully it will unlock a few doors for the future–it's great to get it under my belt at such a young age.”
Another crack at the jockeys' championship is in the cards in 2021. The 2020 The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year said, “I'll give it a go. I'll always be trying as hard as I can and I hope I can land in that position one day, whether it be next year or the year after I don't know. The main thing is to try and keep people happy and ride as many winners as I can.”
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