February 2026

Daniel Tudhope

admin February 4, 2026

Born in Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland on December 1, 1985, Daniel Tudhope left school at 16 and, following careers guidance, attended, and graduated from, Northern Racing College (now the National Horseracing College) in Doncaster. He subsequently became apprenticed to Declan Carroll in Malton, North Yorkshire and rode his first ‘winner’ of any description, Doitupto You (with the assistance of the local stewards) at the Ippodromo San Rossore in Pisa, Italy in 2003. On February 29, 2004, Tudhope rode his first winner on British soil, Rust En Vrede, trained by Carroll, in a banded stakes race at Southwell.

Thanks in no small part to Carroll, Tudhope rode out his claim in two-and-a-half years. However, after a few years struggling as a freelance jockey, he took the advice of weighing room colleague Silvestre De Sousa to start riding out for then up-and-coming trainer David O’Meara, a move that he later described as “the start of it all for me”. In 2012, he became stable jockey to O’Meara after his predecessor, De Sousa, was offered a retainer by Godolphin.

In his new role, Tudhope reached the milestone of 100 winners in a calendar year in 2013, but it would not be until 2019 that he rode 100 winners in the set period, between May and October, on which the jockeys’ title is decided. He achieved his maiden century in that respect on World Title, trained by Archie Watson, in a nursery handicap at Ripon on August 27, 2019. At that point, Tudhope said, “It has been a fantastic year for me so far, and I will keep trying my hardest to achieve my dream of becoming Champion Jockey.” He went on to ride 159 winners in the year as a whole, including 133 in the title period, eventually finishing runner-up to Oisin Murphy in the Flat Jockeys’ Championship.

Nowadays, Willow Farm, near Upper Helmsley, North Yorkshire, where O’Meara has been based since 2016, is one of the strongest yards in the North of England. Nevertheless, Tudhope once said, “For a northern jockey, I think it’s harder. Most of the big meetings are down south. When northern jockeys go down south, it takes a while to adapt. Look at Ascot. It’s a difficult track to ride, especially when you’re up against the top jockeys.” Despite the challenges, Tudhope reached the landmark of 1,000 career winners on Ingelby Hollow, trained by O’Meara, in a handicap at Thirsk on June 3, 2019.

Ben Jones

admin February 4, 2026

Born in Carmarthen, South West Wales on November 16, 1999, Ben Jones caught the racing bug when he started riding out for a local trainer Paul Hamer while enrolled at Hereford School of Farriery. As a 17-year-old, he joined Philip Hobbs in Bilbook, near Minehead, Somerset, initially as an amateur riding, with no little success, in point-to-points. In his second year with Hobbs, he begaun riding under Rules and rode his first winner in that sphere, Sahara Haze, trained by Philip Dando, in a handicap hurdle at Warwick on February 23, 2018.

Having become a conditional jockey, on the advice of Hobbs, Jones opened his account on Field Exhibition, trained by Grace Harris, in a mares’ handicap chase at Hereford on October 15, 2019. In his early career, Jones was well supported by various trainers, including Ben Clarke, Rebecca Curtis and Emma Lavelle, and the latter who provided his first high-profile winner. On November 30, 2019, having just turned 20, Jones rode De Rasher Counter, saddled by Lavelle, to victory in the

Ladbrokes Trophy Chase – formerly the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup and now the Coral Gold Cup – at Newbury. He later said of his achievement, “That got me on the map, I probably didn’t appreciate quite how big it was at the time.”

Thereafter, Jones rode out his claim in under two seasons, losing his remaining weight allowance during the summer of 2021 and reaching the milestone of 100 career winners on Beau Haze, also trained by Phil Dando, in handicap hurdle at Chepstow on March 24, 2022. The 2021/22 season as a whole yielded 39 winners, followed by 28 in 2022/23 and 55 in 2023/24, including his first included his first Cheltenham Festival winner, Shakem Up’arry, trained by Ben Pauling, in the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase on March 14, 2024.

The following October, Pauling, who is based in Naunton, Gloucestershire, asked Jones to become his first-choice jockey. Reflecting on his decision to accept the offer, Jones said later, “When Mr. Pauling asked me to be his number one I didn’t even have to think about it, it was a no-brainer.” In his new role, Jones rode a then career-best 77 winners in 2024/25, including his first Grade 1 winner, The Jukebox Man, trained by Pauling, in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day 2024. Recalling his breakthrough success, Jones said, “My first Grade 1 winner was very special, that’s something I’ll always remember.”