Jockey

Born in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, Danny McMenamin received early tutelage from local trainer Brian Hamilton and Ger Lyons in County Meath. He was still only 17 when he took the advice of former Grand National-winning jockey Tony Dobbin and crossed the Irish Sea to join Nicky Richards at Greystoke Stables in Penrith Cumbria.

McMenamin got off the mark for the yard at the first attempt, steering Western Rules to a short-head victory in an amateur riders’ handicap hurdle at Ayr on March 9, 2018. The following November he made his big breakthrough when, as a 7lb claimer, he won the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on Nietzsche, trained by Brian Ellison. McMenamin rode 16 winners in 2018/19, 28 winners in 2019/20 and 46 winners in 2020/21. In the latter season, he rode out his claim on Archie Brown, trained by Henry Hogarth, in a novices’ handicap chase at Market Rasen on February 21m en route to winning the conditional jockeys’ title.

Richards aside, McMenamin has formed a profitable association with Ann Hamilton, who trains a small string in Capheaton, Northumberland, but has nonetheless provided him with 32 winners in his career to date, including three of his four Grade 2 winners. The partnership won the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on Nuts Well in 2020, the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock Park with Tommy’s Oscar in 2022 and the Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster with the same horse the following year. At the time of writing, McMenamin look destined for his most successful season yet, having already equalled his career-best total of 49 winners, which he achieved in 2023/24.

A graduate of the Racing Academy, County Kildare and formerly conditional jockey to Stuart Crawford, who is based at Newlands Farm, near Larne, County Antrim, Dylan Johnston rode his first winner under rules, Willyouwalkwithme, trained by Harry Smyth, in a handicap hurdle at Downpatrick on June 13, 2021. He subsequently crossed the Irish Sea to join Rose Dobbin in South Hazelrigg, Northumbria and rode his first winner for the yard, Cliffs Of Dooneen, in a conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Carlisle on April 16, 2022.

Johnston subsequently moved south to join Olly Murphy at Warren Chase Stables, in Wilmcote, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, for whom he won the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock Park on Pickanumber on May 11, 2024. Shortly afterwards, he was offered the job as principal jockey to powerful owner Dai Walters, the founder of Ffos Las Racecourse, and is now based predominantly with Sam Thomas in Lisvane, Cardiff, who also holds his licence.

After riding just a single winner on British soil in 2021/22, Johnston increased his seasonal tally to eight winners in 2022/23 and 19 in 2023/24. He is currently enjoying his most successful season yet in 2024/25, having ridden 22 winners so far, at a strike rate of 15%, and amassed over £450,000 in prize money. His association with Walters has already yielded two high-profile winners, Lump Sum in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las in October and Steel Ally in an equally valuable handicap hurdle at Haydock Park in November. Johnston looks a live contender for the 2024/25 conditional jockeys’ title and currently lies second in table behind Freddie Gingell.

Nowadays stable jockey to Venetia Williams in Kings Caple, Herefordshire, Charlie Deutsch rode his first winner under rules, Fitandproperjob, trained by Anthony Middleton, in an amateur riders’ handicap at Folkestone on December 4, 2012. He subsequently joined Charlie Longsdon in in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.and rode his first winner as a professional, Long Lunch, in a National Hunt flat race at Market Rasen on September 28, 2013.

After three years with Longsdon, Deutsch joined Williams and eventually rode out his claim on Luckime, owned the late Trevor Hemmings, in a novices’ hurdle at Catterick on February 12, 2018. Indeed, five days later, he rode Yala Enki to victory in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park, which was, at the time, the biggest win of this career.

However, in the early hours of March 30, 2018, Deutsch was stopped the police for speeding on his way home from a night out in Cheltenham. He panicked and drove off at high speed, only to be arrested for dangerous driving while over the drink drive limit and escaping from police custody. He subsequently plead guilty at Gloucester Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, of which he served two-and-a-half.

More recently Deutsch has reached a career-best 48 winners in a season twice, in 2021/22 and 2023/24. He has four Grade 1 victories to his name, two courtesy of L’Homme Presse and the other two courtesy of Royal Pagaille. The former won the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park and the Broadway Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, while the latter won back-to-back renewals of the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park in 2023 and 2024.

Brendan Powell is, of course, the son of former Grand National-winning Brendan Powell Sr.. Indeed, he rode his first winner, Home, trained by his father, in an amateur riders’ handicap on the Flat at Southwell on February 8, 2011. Having learned his trade on the competitive pony racing circuit in Ireland, Powell Jnr. Subsequently became conditional jockey to Colin Tizzard at Venn Farm in Milborne Port, Dorset. Indeed, he rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Golden Chieftain, trained by Tizzard, in the JLT Specialty Handicap Chase on March 12, 2013 while still claiming 3lb.

Powell was still a teenager when his lost his claim, but after a successful inaugural season as a fully-fledged professional, spent a few years in the wilderness. However, in recent seasons he has enjoyed a resurgence as principal jockey at Venn Farm, to Colin Tizzard and to his son, Joe, following his retirement at the end of the 2020/21 National Hunt season. In fact, that proved to be his most successful season, so far, numerically and fiscally; he rode 65 winners from 460 rides, at a strike rate of 14%, and amassed £1.14 million in prize money.

A Grade 1 winner has so far proved elusive, but Powell nonetheless has 19 Listed and Graded victories to his name, including at the Cheltenham Festival. In 2014, he won the Rewards4Racing Novices’ Handicap Chase on Present View, trained by Jamie Snowden, in 2020 the Ultima Handicap Chase on The Conditional, trained by David Bridgwater, and in 2022 the Paddy Power Novices’ Handicap Chase on Killer Kane, trained by Tizzard Snr..