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..

Born in Carmarthen, West Wales on November 16, 1999, Ben Jones was formerly an amateur and conditional jockey with Philip Hobbs Sandhill Racing Stables in Bilbook, near Minehead, Somerset. He rode his first winner under rules, Sahara Haze, trained by Philip Dando, in a conditional/amateur riders’ handicap hurdle at Warwick on February 23, 2018 and his first as a professional, Field Exhibition, trained by Grace Harris, in a mares’ handicap chase at Hereford on October 15, 2019. Indeed, just over six weeks later, on November 30, he rode De Rasher Counter, trained by Emma Lavelle, to victory in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury.

Jones rode out his claim in the summer of 2021 and reached the landmark of 100 career winners on Beau Haze, again trained by Dando, in handicap hurdle at Chepstow on March 24, 2022. He enjoyed his most successful season, so far, in 2023/24, when he rode 55 winners from 336 rides and amassed £784,321 in prize money. His seasonal tally included his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Shakem Up’arry, trained by Ben Pauling, in the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase.

In October 2024, Jones was confirmed as stable jockey to Pauling, who is based in Naunton, near
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In the 2024/25 season, so far, he has ridden 52 winners from 338 rides, including his first Grade 1 winners, The Jukebox Man in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and Handstands in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown in February.

Bryan Carver, who hails from Kanturk in County Cork, enjoyed a successful point-to-point career, with 39 winners to his name, before joining Paul Nicholls at Manor Farm in Ditcheat. He rode his first winner for the yard, Dr. Sanderson, in a novices’ hurdle at Ludlow on April 1, 2019, while still an amateur, and went on to become a top conditional jockey, thanks in no small part to his previous experience in the point-to-point field.

On New Year’s Day 2020, he rode a remarkable 883/1 treble at Exeter, courtesy of Daytime Ahead, trained by Ron Hodges, Sir Psycho, trained by Nicholls, and Tile Tapper, ridden by Jimmy Frost. He finished 2019/20 with 23 winners, despite breaking his collarbone in a fall from Little Boy Boru, trained by Suzy Smith, at Plumpton in January, and and increased his tally to 34 winners in 2020/21, making that his most successful season so far.

Having ridden out his claim, though, Carver has seen his career has been interrupted, more than once, by injury. In April 2022, he ruptured his spleen in a skiing accident in France and was airlifted to hospital in Grenoble, where he spent a week in intensive care. After a period of rehabilitation, he returned to race riding the following August and went on to ride 18 winners in 2022/23 and 20 more in 2023/24. Big-race success has proved elusive, thus far, but Carver did record his first Graded victory on Gidleigh Park, trained by Harry Fry, in the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor on January 17, 2025.