jockeys championship

On a bright autumn afternoon at Ascot, Oisin Murphy raised and then kissed a silver trophy that symbolised the arc of his redemption. Banned for 14 months for twice failing breath tests and misleading the British Horseracing Authority over a trip to Mykonos during Covid, Murphy stood on Champions Day as the embodiment of a fall-and-rise narrative. There are lots of those in sport, and they sure as hell beat the opposite, which is fall-and-stay-fallen. The 2024 Champion Jockey was given a guard of honour by his fellow jockeys and...

The rider who streaked home in the £4.7m Sheema Classic in Dubai at the weekend is also odds-on to win something rather more quaint. The title of champion Flat race jockey was once contested with fierce pride by men who thrashed car engines dashing up and down the land to ride a winner at Redcar or Salisbury. Lester Piggott, Willie Carson and Pat Eddery didn't care where it was, provided it landed a blow on their rivals. Sometimes small private planes would lift them over the motorway traffic. But the...

Before beginning Godolphin Flying Start I was fortunate to spend time in Australia working for Gai Waterhouse. The first lady of Australian racing is an unbelievable teacher and one of her many tools is the use of inspirational quotes. During my time with Gai I collated a list of these and there is one in particular that resonates with me: 'necessity is the mother of innovation.' For me, this simple quote perfectly encapsulates the current crisis that the racing industry and the rest of the world are experiencing because of...