Born in St. Asaph in Denbighshire, North East Wales on July 8, 1972, David Harrison graduated from the British Racing School in Newmarket and subsequently became apprenticed to William Hastings-Bass, latterly Lord Huntingdon, in West Isley, Berkshire, with whom he had previously gained three months’ work experience. Fittingly, for a Welshman, he rode his first winner, Majestic Image, trained by Hastings-Bass, at Southwell on March 1, 1991.

After riding 14 winners in 1991, including the first of 27 in the colours of the late Queen Elizabeth II that he would ride during his career, Harrison rode a further 56 winners in 1992, which was sufficient to win the apprentices’ title. As a fully-fledged professional, he enjoyed his most successful season on British soil in 1994, when he rode 71 winners from 611 rides, at a strike rate of 12%.

Harrison never won a domestic Group 1 race, but did ride Single Empire, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, to victory in the Derby Italiano at Campanelle, Italy in 1997, along with Holy Grail, trained by Ivan Allan, in the Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin, Hong Kong in 1999 and Arctic Owl, trained by James Fanshawe, at the Curragh, Ireland in 2000. All told, he rode a total of 28 Listed and Pattern race winners worldwide.

After 11 years as a jockey, Harrison suffered serious neck and back injuries, necessitating a stay in intensive care, when his mount, My Chief, clipped heels in a race at Sha Tin, Hong on May 30, 2001 and took an horrific fall. The incident ended his riding career, but Harrison recovered sufficiently to return to racing as a jockeys’ agent some years later.

He was to ride a further 26 in the royal colours including Colour Sergeant in the Royal Hunt Cup, her first Royal Ascot winner for 25 years.

Born in Manchester on June 14, 1977, Darryll Holland rode his first winner on British soil, Sinclair Boy, trained by the late Barry Hills, to whom he was apprenticed, at Warwick on May 7, 1990. In that season, as whole, he rode 31 winners and in 1991 rode 83 winners to claim the apprentices’ title.

Holland rode on the Flat every season until 2013, riding over a hundred winners in six occasions, including four seasons running between 2001 and 2004. His most successful season on home soil came in 2003, when he rode 157 winners from 989 rides, at a strike rate of 16%, and amassed over £3.2 million in total prize money. He subsequently spent three years riding in South Korea, becoming the first European jockey to do so, before returning to Britain for a brief, abortive stint as stable jockey to Charlie Hills, son of Barry, in Lambourn in 2016.

The 2016 season yielded just 22 winners on British soil, including what proved to be the last of them, Dolphin Village, trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, at Newmarket on July 30, 2016. Holland subsequently moved, briefly, back to South Korea, where he won the KRA Cup Mile, the first leg of the Korean Triple Crown, at Busan on Indian King, trained by Mun Je Bok, on April 2, 2017. Thereafter, he plied his trade, with mixed fortunes, in the United States and Canada, before taking his final ride at Woodbine, Toronto on November 21, 2020.

Holland retired from the saddle with 17 Group 1 winners to his name at home and abroad. Domestically, his career highlights included winning the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Falbrav, trained by Luca Cumani, in 2003. He never won a British Classic, but went closer than most when the unheralded Dragon Dancer, trained by Geoff Wragg, who was sent off at 66/1, was just touched off by Sir Percy in the Derby in 2006.

Born in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales on July 29, 1965, Carl Llewellyn is nowadays best known as assistant trainer to Nigel Twiston-Davies at Grange Hill Farm in Naunton, Gloucestershire. In fact, he rejoined Twiston-Davies, to whom he had previously been stable jockey for 18 years, in 2009, after being sacked as salaried trainer to owner Malcolm Denmark at Weathercock House Stables in Lambourn.

A graduate from the point-to-point field, Llewellyn rode his first winner under National Hunt Rules, Starjestic, trained by Roy Robinson, in a steeplechase at Wolverhampton on March 14, 1986. He spent his early riding career as amateur jockey to Stan Mellor and Jim Old, before joining Tim Forster, with whom he would win the conditional jockeys’ title in 1987/88. Indeed, on March 16, 1988, Llewellyn rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Smart Tar, trained by Mark ‘Jumbo’ Wilkinson, in the Mildmay of Flete Challenge Cup.

As a jockey, Llewellyn is probably best remembered for winning the Grand National twice, on Party Politics, trained by Nick Gaselee, in 1992 and Earth Summit, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, in 1998. In fact, both horses were fortuitous ‘spare’ rides, after their respective regular jockeys, Andy Adams and Tom Jenks, were ruled out through injury. However, he also won the Welsh Grand National on Bindaree, trained by Twiston-Davies, in 2003 and the Scottish Grand National on Run For Paddy, whom he also trained, in 2006.

Llewellyn enjoyed his most successful season, numerically and fiscally, in 1997/98, when he rode 82 winners from 562 rides and amassed £914,962 in total prize money. That season he recorded five Grade 1 winners, Kerawi in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, Mistinguett in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham, Jack Doyle in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, Upgrade in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Mahler in the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown, all of whom were saddled by Twiston-Davies.