Jockeys’ Championships 2023/24
Winning 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 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 National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship has been dominated by Tony McCoy, who is the leading jumps jockey championship winner with 20 titles 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.
The Jump Jockeys Championship is decided on ridden winners in National Hunt races from May to the following April. Brian Hughes regained the accolade during the 2021/22 season, retained it in 2022/23, and the trend is expected to continue.
National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship betting is released ahead of the season, and some bookmakers are quoting odds. As of April 2024, Harry Cobden is leading the betting as the 1/5 favourite, and with the current campaign running through to the end of April 2024, there is not a lot of time for Sean Bowen to overtake him. The final races to claim the trophy will be at Sandown.
Leading National Hunt Jockeys 2023/24 – by Total Wins
The table below summaries how the most recent battle to be the Champion Jockey ended. Sean Bowen rode The Goffer to 13th place in the 2024 Grand National, while Harry Cobden rode Noble Yeats to 19th place.
| Jockey | Wins | Rides | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden | 161 | 717 | |
| Sean Bowen | 154 | 710 | |
| Brian Hughes | 121 | 747 | |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 102 | 630 | |
| Gavin Sheehan | 90 | 533 |
*Statistics last updated on 25th April 2024.
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 2023/24 – 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico de Boinville | 56 | 245 | 23% |
| Harry Cobden | 161 | 717 | 22% |
| Sean Bowen | 154 | 710 | 22% |
| Harry Skelton | 78 | 413 | 19% |
| Gavin Sheehan | 90 | 533 | 17% |
*Statistics last updated on 25th April 2024.
Flat Jockeys’ Championship Betting
It takes a great amount of skill and dedication to win the Flat Jockeys’ Championship. The next award will be determined by the number of winners ridden on both the turf and all weather from the Guineas Festival on 6th May 2023 to British Champions Day at Ascot on 21st October 2023.
In 2022, jockey 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.
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.
Flat Jockeys Championship Odds
In 2022, and in the absence of three-time Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy, William Buick won the title for the first time in his career. many as his haul in 2019 – 168 winners. That was the biggest total since Richard Hughes was successful in 2013 with 208 winners in the year.
Oisin Murphy’s decision to temporarily relinquish his licence in December 2021 meant we were guaranteed a new Champion Jockey in 2022. William Buick, second in 2020 and 2021, was heavy odds-on in the betting, and duly obliged to secure the honour for the first time. The battle for second proved more competitive, with Hollie Doyle narrowly seeing off Tom Marquand in the end.
Many eyes will be on Hollie Doyle in 2023 as she looks to become the first female jockey to win the jockeys’ title race.
Leading Jockeys – Flat Jockeys Championship 2023 – by Total Prize Money
| Jockey | Wins | Rides | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 46 | 262 | £7.37m |
| Frankie Dettori | 28 | 113 | £5.78m |
| Oisin Murphy | 106 | 673 | £4.43m |
| Tom Marquand | 102 | 697 | £3.99m |
| William Buick | 135 | 616 | £3.79m |
*Statistics last updated on 25th April 2024.
Trainers’ Championship – by Total Prize Money
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. They were the top two in the National Hunt Trainers’ Championship betting for the 2022/23 season, and headed the Trainers’ Championship standings alongside Dan Skelton.
In Ireland, Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott have been involved in a fascinating duel for the Irish National Hunt Trainers Championship in recent years. Those two men were again locked in a battle for the title in 2022/23, ahead of Henry de Bromhead. The trip often dominate the Grand National betting with their runners, and are also prominent in other big race meetings like the Cheltenham Festival.
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