Jockeys’ Championships 2025/26
Last Updated 1 week ago | By The GrandNational.org.uk StaffWinning any race, from the Grand National to a maiden chase, is down to far more than just a horse’s ability, so it can pay to be aware of the best jockeys. Both codes of horse racing (jumps and flat) in the UK and Ireland include a jockeys’ championship 2025 which runs throughout the season, and this gives a good idea of which jockey are the ones to watch. The jockey with the most winners at the end of the campaign is crowned the Champion Jockey.
National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship Betting
The Jump Jockeys Championship is decided on ridden winners in National Hunt races from May to the following April. It has been dominated by certain well-known jockeys over the years.
Tony McCoy came out on top for a remarkable 20 successive years, before retiring in 2015. McCoy’s retirement opened the door for Richard Johnson to claim the title in 2016. Johnson had to settle for second place behind his rival a remarkable 17 times, but finally won the award four times before retiring too.
Since Johnson’s retirement, the Jump Jockeys’ Championship has been shared around more than before. Brian Hughes, Harry Skelton and Harry Cobden have all won the accolade this decade, before Sean Bowen secured the title for the first time in 2025. The victory provided an Bowen with an extra special moment, given last season he had been leading the standings before a fall ruled him out of action for two months.
National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship betting is available for the 2025/26 season and again it’s Sean Bowen who finds himself as the odds-on favourite and early leader to defend his crown.
National Hunt Jockeys Championship Standings & Odds 2025/26
Have a look at the current leaders in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship for 2025/26.
| Jockey | Wins | Rides | Strike Rate | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Bowen | 28 | 90 | 31% | 1/4 |
| Harry Skelton | 18 | 52 | 35% | 5/1 |
| James Bowen | 15 | 43 | 35% | 66/1 |
| Brian Hughes | 10 | 50 | 20% | 100/1 |
| Harry Cobden | 8 | 21 | 38% | 12/1 |
*Statistics and odds last updated on 5th June 2025.
FILE PHOTO: Horse Racing – Cheltenham Festival – Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain – March 16, 2018 Richard Johnson on Native River celebrates after winning the 15.30 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo/Ritzau Scanpix
Conditional Jockeys’ Championship Betting
The Conditional Jockeys’ Championship runs in National Hunt racing for jockeys who are able to claim weight for their ride.
Conditional jockeys can claim 7lb on their ride until they have ridden 20 winners. They are able to take 5lb off until they have 40 winners to their name, while it is 3lb up until they reach 75 winners. An additional 3lb is also taken off for Conditional Jockeys with fewer than five winners and are riding for their own stable.
Leading Conditional Jockeys Standings 2025/26 – by Strike Rate
The Conditional Jumps Jockeys Championship is decided on ridden winners of National Hunt races, starting in May and running through to the following April.
| Jockey | Wins | Rides | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freddie Gordon | 6 | 17 | 35% |
| Toby Wynne | 4 | 19 | 21% |
| Jay Tidball | 3 | 8 | 38% |
| Freddie Gingell | 3 | 10 | 30% |
| Benjamin Macey | 3 | 13 | 23% |
*Statistics last updated on 5th June 2025.
Flat Jockeys’ Championship Betting
It takes a great amount of skill and dedication to win the Flat Jockeys’ Championship, which is decided based on wins recorded between the Guineas Festival in May and British Champions Day in mid-October.
When you go through the course of history, some of the great flat riders have been Champion Jockeys, including Gordon Richards, Scobie Breasley, Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery. More recent winners include Frankie Dettori, Kieren Fallon and Ryan Moore.
In 2022, William Buick was crowned the leading flat champion jockey, with 157 wins, comfortably ahead of Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle, who recorded 91 winners apiece. Buick held onto his crown in 2023, ahead of Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan, but it was Murphy that blew his rivals away in 2024, reclaiming the coveted honour for the fourth time.
The early Flat Jockeys Championship odds for 2025 have Oisin Murphy as favourite to hold on to his crown.
Leading Flat Jockeys Championship Standings and Odds
| Jockey | Wins | Rides | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oisin Murphy | 28 | 121 | 8/13 |
| William Buick | 21 | 77 | 14/1 |
| Rossa Ryan | 19 | 130 | 6/4 |
| Billy Loughnane | 16 | 103 | 7/2 |
| Tom Marquand | 15 | 118 | 40/1 |
*Statistics and odds last updated on 5th June 2025.
There are also championship titles handed out to trainers in Flat and National Hunt racing. In the UK, Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have dominated the jump racing award over the last couple of decades. Willie Mullins has trained many top horses in Ireland for many years, and 2024 also saw him become the first Irishman to win the British championship for 70 years. Dan Skelton, finished second and is setting the pace in the 2025 standings, but Mullins may yet pip him at the final hurdle, after enjoying a stellar Cheltenham Festival and dominating the 2025 Grand National too.
Grand National favourites FAQs
Who is leading the Jump Jockey Championship?
Sean Bowen currently heads Harry Skelton in the Jump Jockey Championship.
Who is leading the Flat Jockey Championship?
Oisin Murphy won the most recent Flat Jockey Championship.
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