Dylan Johnston

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.

On which horses did Barry Geraghty win the Queen Mother Champion Chase?

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In July 2020, County Meath-born Barry Geraghty called time on my career as a National Hunt jockey with 1,920 winners to his name, placing him fourth in the all-time list in Britain and Ireland, behind only Sir Anthony McCoy, Richard Johnson and Ruby Walsh. He was never champion jockey in Britain, but won that accolade in his native Ireland twice, in 2000 and 2004, and all the major races. On British soil, his high-profile victories included the Grand National on Monty’s Pass in 2003 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, on Kicking King in 2005 and Bobs Worth in 2013.

Indeed, Geraghty, who succeeded Mick Fitzgerald as stable jockey to Nicky Henderson in 2008 and Sir Anthony McCoy as retained jockey for John Patrick ‘J.P.’ McManus in 2015, was anything but a stranger to the winners’ enclosure at the Cheltenham Festival. In fact, his career total of 43 winners at the March showpiece places him second on the all-time list, behind only Ruby Walsh.

The minimum-distance steeplechasing championship, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, is the feature race on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival. Geraghty won it five times and jointly holds the record as the most successful jockey in its history. His winners were Moscow Flyer (2003, 2005), Big Zeb (2010), Finian’s Rainbow (2012) and Sprinter Sacre (2013). Geraghty shares the record with the late Patrick ‘Pat’ Taaffe, who is best remembered as the jockey of the indomitable Arkle, but nevertheless also rode five winners of the Two-Mile Champion Chase – as the race was known prior to 1980 – between 1960 and 1970.

Charlie Deutsch

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

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..