Jockey

The short answer is yes, they do. Jockeys must maintain exemplary levels of strength and fitness while, at the same time, adhering to a strict dietary regime, which, in many cases, causes them to exist below their natural body weight. Nevertheless, for all the discipline involved, the fact remains that all jockeys ride many more losers than winners, regardless of whether they happen to be one of your acca tips or picks. If they were to rely on a percentage of prize money alone, their earnings would be, at best, wildly haphazard.

For example, Oisin Murphy, who was crowned champion jockey for the fourth time in six years in October 2024, won his title with a total of 163 winners from 754 rides, at a strike rate of 22%. Of course, Murphy is one of the fortunate few who are paid a handsome ‘retainer’ to ride for an individual trainer or owner on account of his impressive results, in his case Qatar Racing, which is owned by Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al Thani. The vast majority of his weighing-room colleagues have no such luxury and, aside from prize money, are paid on a ‘piecework’ basis, at a fixed rate for each ride they take.

At the time of writing, all Flat jockeys receive £162.79 per ride, regardless of their status, while their National Hunt counterparts receive £221.28, in both cases subject to deductions for agent fees, union fees, inusrance and the like. Flat jockeys also receive approximately 7% of winning prize money, National Hunt jockeys receive approximately 9%, and both types of jockey approximately 4% of place prize money.

In short, the two female jockeys who have ridden 1,000 winners in Europe are Hayley Turner and Hollie Doyle. Turner became the first to do so, when, on November 21, 2023, when she rode 9/4 favourite Tradesman, trained by David Simcock, to comfortable, 1¾-length win in the Illuminate Christmas Ball Handicap, over two miles, at Chelmsford. The victory was fitting insofar that the winner was owned by Khalifa Dasmal, who also provided Turner with the first of her two Group 1 winners, Dream Ahead, also trained by Simcock, in the July Cup at Newmarket on July 9, 2011. Reflecting on reaching the career landmark, Turner, 41, said, “I’m chuffed and relieved. Although it’s taken me 20 years to do it, it will probably take the girls behind me half the time.”

She was nearly right, too, because Hollie Doyle brought up 1,000 career winners on Leyhaimur, coincidentally also trained by David Simcock, in a nursery handicap at Goodwood on September 3, 2024. That success came exactly 11 years, 3 months, 29 days after her first, on The Mongoose, trained by David Evans, in a lady amateur riders’ handicap at Salisbury on May 5, 2013. Doyle, 27, has been making headlines for most of her career and broke the record for the number of winners ridden by a female jockey three years running in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Currently with nine Group 1 winners to her name, she said, “Never when I started off my career did I imagine I would ride this many winners. Now all I can think about is the next thousand.”

Born in Newport, Isle of Wight on February 13, 1954, Paul Barton became apprenticed to David ‘Gandy’ Gandolfo at Down Stables in Wantage, Oxfordshire – where he would spend the whole of his 15-year riding career – and rode his first winner, Inigo Jones, at the now-defunct Folkestone on December 21, 1972.

Arguably the highest-profile victory of his career came in 1979, when he won the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Peter Scot, trained by Gandolfo, although he did win the Anthony Mildmay, Peter Cazalet Memorial Chase at Sandown Park two years later. In 1982, the partnership tackled the Grand National proper, but made it no further than Becher’s Brook on the first circuit.

In 1983, Barton replaced the injured John Francome on the 1982 winner, and favourite, Grittar, trained by Frank Gilman, but could only finish a remote fifth behind the history-making Corbiere, trained by Jenny Pitman. Indeed, Grittar aside, he completed the National Course just once more in eight rides, finishing ninth on Rathlek, also trained by Gandolfo, in 1981.

That year, Barton did win the Topham Chase, over the Grand National fences, on Mr. Malsbridge and the Mackeson Gold Cup (now the Paddy Power Gold Cup) at Cheltenham on Henry Kissinger, both of whom were trained by Gandolfo. Later in his career, he also won the Grand Annual Chase at the Cheltenham Festval on Reldis, trained by Gandolfo, in 1982, the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster on Get Out Of Me Way, trained by Graham Thorner, in 1983 and the Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree on Pearlyman, trained by John Edwards, in 1986.

Barton enjoyed his most successful season, numerically, in 1977/78, when he rode 42 winners. At the time of his retirement, at the relatively early age off 33, in 1987, he had a total of 353 winners to his name.

Born in Warrington – which was, historically, in Lancashire, but is now in Cheshire – on November 8, 1884, Steve Donoghue was one of the most prolific and popular jockeys in Britain in the early years of the twentieth century. After a rather chequered start to his riding career, Donoghue eventually became apprenticed to Edward Johnson in France, for whom he rode his first winner, Hanoi, at Hyéres in April 1905. After a success spell with Philip ‘Phillie’ Behan in Co. Kildare, Ireland, where he became Champion Jockey in 1908, he returned to Britain in 1910, replacing Danny Maher as stable jockey to Henry ‘Atty’ Persse at Chattis Hill, near Stockbridge, Hampshire.

In 1913, Donoghue rode The Tetrarch, trained by Persse, to all seven victories, including the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. The following season he became British Champion Flat Jockey for the first time and did so again for the next nine years, including a final title that he shared with Charlie Elliott in 1923.

All told, Donoghue rode 14 British Classic winners, including six Derby winners, the first two of which, Pommern (1915) and Gay Crusader (1917), both went on to land the Triple Crown, making him the only jockey ever do so twice. He also remains the only jockey to win the Derby three years running, which he did on Humorist, Captain Cuttle and Papyrus in 1921, 1922 and 1923. Just for good measure, Donoghue added his sixth and final Derby winner, Manna, trained by Fred Darling, in 1925.

Other claims to fame include winning the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot six years running between between 1929 and 1934 on legendary stayer Brown Jack, winning the Irish Derby five times and the Grand Prix de Paris twice. Dongohue retired from the saddle in 1937, with 1,847 British Flat winners to his name, and died suddenly from a heart attack, aged 60, in Paddington, London eight years later.