2026

Frankie Dettori

admin May 27, 2026

Born in Milan, Italy on December 15, 1970, Lanfranco ‘Frankie’ Dettori is the son of 13-time Italian champion jockey Gianfranco Dettori. Dettori Jnr. rode his first winner, Rif, at Turin, Italy on November 16, 1986 and his last, Bet You Can, at Gavea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on February 1, 2026. Following the latter, he said, “Racing has been my life. I began riding in Italy as a 15-year-old boy nearly 40 years ago, and this sport has given me everything.”

In Britain, Dettori became apprenticed to compatriot Luca Cumani in Newmarket in 1987 and rode his first winner for the yard, Lizzy Hare, in a handicap at Goodwood on June 9, 1987. Two seasons later, he rode 75 winners – riding out his claim on Versailles Road, trained by Susan Piggott, in handicap at Beverley on July 18, 1989 – en route to becoming champion apprentice. The following season, in which became the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride over 100 winners in a season, he also recorded his first Group 1 win on Markofdistinction, trained by Cumani, in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 29, 1990.

In September 1993, Dettori signed a retainer with Goldolphin, under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and so began a profitable association, during which he would become champion jockey three times, in 1994, with a career-best 233 winners, 1995 and 2004. Of all his achievements on British soil, Dettori will probably always be best remembered for his so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’ at Ascot on September 28, 1996. At the British Festival of Racing, he rode all seven winners on the card, which, even at starting price, amounted to cumulative odds of 25,095/1 and cost the bookmakers tens of millions of pounds. At the end of his career, Dettori had ridden 3,336 winners on British soil.

Derek Fox

admin May 27, 2026

Born in Sligo, Ireland on May 14, 1992, Derek Fox began pony racing as a child before obtaining an amateur jockey licence, as a 16-year-old, and progressing to riding in point-to-points. He rode his first winner under Rules, Mighty Whitey, trained by Noel Kelly, in a ‘bumper’ at Sligo on May 19, 2010. He subsequently became conditional jockey to Charles Byrnes in Ballygarry, Limerick, but after a year returned to Sligo, where he became best known for his association with Charlie’s Vic, trained by Kelly. All told, he won four races on the Old Vic mare, including the Grade 3 Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Chase at Limerick on March 17, 2013.

The following October, while still claiming 5lb, Fox crossed the Irish Sea to join his cousin, Stephen, at the yard of Lucinda Russell in Milnathort, Kinross, Scotland. He rode a winner on his first ride for the yard, The Friary, in a novices’ handicap chase at Hexham on November 8, 2013 and finished the 2013/14 season with 12 winners on British soil. In 2015/16, he rode 26 winners, finishing second in the conditional jockeys’ championship and riding out his claim in the process. Peter Buchanan, who had been stable jockey to Russell for 13 years, retired at the end of that season and Fox was promoted to the number one spot.

As a fully-fledged professional, Fox is best known for winning the Grand National twice, on One For Arthur in 2017 and Corach Rambler in 2023, both saddled by Russell. He also has two Grade 1 victories to his name, the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle on April 9, 2021 and the Mildmay Novices Chase on April 8, 2022, both at Aintree and both on Ahoy Senor, again trained by Russell. Fox has also suffered his fair share of serious injuries, breaking his wrist and collarbone in a fall at Carlisle just a month before his 2017 Grand National victory and his first lumbar vertebra, collarbone and rib in another at Sedgefield in March 2025, leading to six months on the sidelines.

Charlie Deutsch

admin May 27, 2026

Born in Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire, Charlie Deutsch is the son of former point-to-point jockey and trainer John Deutsch. A graduate from the field of pony racing, Deutsch Jnr. joined Charlie Longsdon, in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, straight from school and rode his first winner under Rules, Fitandproperjob, trained by Anthony Middleton, in a handicap hurdle at Folkestone on December 4, 2012 as a 16-year-old amateur. He turned conditional at the end of the 2012/13 season, before returning to amateur status late in the 2014/15 season and subsequently joining Venetia Williams in King’s Caple, Herefordshire, again as a professional.

Deutsch rode out his claim on on Luckime, trained by Williams, in a novices’ hurdle at Catterick on February 12, 2018. However, in the early hours of March 30, 2018 his career came to a shuddering halt (no pun intended) when he was stopped by police following a night out in Cheltenham. After repeated attempts to take a roadside breath test, Deutsch panicked and fled the scene, resulting in a high-speed car chase. He subsequently plead guilty to dangerous driving while over the drink-drive alcohol limit and escaping from police custody and was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, of which he served two-and-a-half.

Thankfully, Venetia Williams, to whom he is now stable jockey, stood by him, writing in a letter to owners, “I will ensure that he [Deutsch] knows how highly I regard him as our main jockey, and that he will be straight back into the saddle at Aramstone on his return. ” Indeed, Deutsch has undergone a renaissance since, reaching a career-best 48 winners for the first time in 2021/22. That season, he recorded his first Grade 1 winner, L’Homme Presse, in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown on February 5, 2022, and followed up, on the same horse, in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on March 16, for his maiden Cheltenham Festival win.

Sean Bowen

admin May 11, 2026

Stable jockey to Olly Murphy in Wilmcote, Warwickshire, Sean Bowen has proved a force majeure in National Hunt racing in recent seasons. He was arguably unlucky not to lift the jump jockeys’ title in Britain for the first time in 2023/24, eventually finishing second behind Harry Cobden after being sidelined for six weeks as the result of a heavy fall at Aintree on Boxing Day, when holding a healthy lead in the championship. Bowen has since sent the record straight, though, winning the British Jump Jockeys’ Championship in 2024/25 with 180 winners and, again, in 2025/26 with an eye-watering 241 winners.

The latter seasonal tally was, in fact, the highest since Tony McCoy rode 258 winners in 2002/03 and far and away the highest since jockeys were restricted to riding at one meeting per day when racing returned, behind closed doors, during the Covid-19 pandemic. After winning his second jockeys’ title in as many years, Bowen told the BBC, “I can’t wait to get back to zero and start all over again, to be honest.”

Bowen was born in Little Newcastle, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales on September 5, 1997 to a racing family. His older brother, Mickey, nows holds the licence at the Yet-Y-Rhug yard, having taken over from his father, Peter, in 2025 and his younger brother, James, is also a successful National Hunt jockey, who finished third in the 2025/26 Jump Jockeys’ Championship with 105 winners. Sean Bowen was champion conditional jockey in 2014/15, only to be usurped by James as the youngest ever winner of that title in 2017/18.

Sean Bowen reached the landmark of 1,000 career winners on Kefir d’Oudairies, trained by Olly Murphy, in a National Hunt Flat race at Fakenham on February 14, 2025. Despite his remarkable tally, though, he has yet to ride a Grade 1 winner or a Cheltenham Festival winner of any description. On reaching the milestone, he said, “It’s been a great season and I’d also love to have a Cheltenham Festival winner.” However, Bowen already has dozens of Graded and Listed winners to his name, so both are surely only a matter of time.

Tristan Durrell

admin May 11, 2026

A graduate from the field of pony racing, Tristan Durrell joined Dan Skelton in Shelfield Green, near Alcester, Warwickshire straight from school, as a 15-year-old, as a regular stable lad, without the promise of any rides. However, he began riding point-to-pointers trained by Nick Pearce at nearby Alne Park Stud and gradually progressed through the ranks to the point where he rode his first winner under Rules, Eyren, trained by Skelton, in a ‘bumper’ confined to amateur riders and conditional jockeys at Doncaster on March 2, 2019, on just his second ride.

Durrell had to wait until December 17, 2020 for his second winner, Amzac Magic, trained by Jack Barber, in an amateur jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Exeter but, having become a conditional jockey, went on to ride 14 winners in 2021/22, 16 winners in 2022/23, 11 winners in 2023/24 and 12 winners in 2024/25. By that stage of his career, Durrell had already made headlines when, on January 13, 2024, as a 3lb claimer, he rode a high-profile Saturday afternoon double on Flegmatik and Jay Jay Reilly, both trained by Skelton, at Kempton. Victory for the latter in the £100,000 Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle was the biggest win of his career at that stage.

However, 2025/26 proved to be the breakthrough season for Durrell. On November 29, 2025, he partnered Panic Attack, trained by Skelton, to a ready, six-and-a-half length victory in the the £250,000 Coral Gold Cup (formerly the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup) at Newbury. On December 13, 2025, he reached the landmark of 75 winners, thereby riding out his remaining 3lb claim, courtesy of Real Quartz, another trained by Skelton, in a novices’ hurdle at Doncaster. On April 11, 2026, Grand National Day, he rode his first Grade 1 winner for the yard, Mirabad, who sprang a 50/1 surprise in the Maghull Novices’ Chase.

Last, but by no means least, on April 25, 2026, the final day of the National Hunt season, Durrell confirmed his position as champion conditional jockey by winning the opening fillies’ juvenile handicap hurdle on Queen Maeve. He finished the season with 48 winners and is now firmly ensconced as second jockey at the Skelton yard, behind former champopn jockey Harry Skelton.

Tom Bellamy

admin February 10, 2026

Born on September 22, 1994 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Tom Bellamy is the elder son of former National Hunt jockey Robert Bellamy. He rode his first winner, Ponchatrain, trained by Martin Keighley, in an amateur riders’ handicap chase at Sedgefield on May 10, 2011. Bellamy enjoyed early success on Swing Bill, trained by David Pipe, in an amateur riders’ handicap chase at Cheltenham on November 11, 2011 and, following discussions with Pipe, turned conditional early the following year.

Three years with Pipe, in Nicholashayne, Somerset, yielded just 20 winners and, in August 2014, Bellamy joined Alan King at Barbury Castle Stables in Wroughton, Wiltshire. He rode 23 winners in 2014/15, 18 in 2015/16 and 25 in 2016/17, the latter total including his first Graded winner, Master Blueyes, trained by King, in the Adonis Juvenile at Kempton on February 25,2017.

In his first season as a fully-fledged professional, Bellamy won the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Splash Of Ginge, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, on November 18, 2017. The 2017/18 season, as a whole, proved a disappointment, though, with just 17 winners and his seasonal tally fell again in 2018/19, to just 12 winners, at a dismal 6% strike rate. Reflecting on his period in the doldrums, Bellamy said later, “…I was at a stage when my claim had gone, had two really quiet seasons and wasn’t far off giving up. “

Nevertheless, with the support of King, Twiston-Davies and Emma Lavelle, his career took off again and has continued to flourish ever since. Bellamy rode a career-best 51 winners in 2021/22, including a high-profile victory on Eclair Surf, trained by Lavelle, in the Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick on January 15, 2022. In the next three seasons, Bellamy rode 47, 48 and 45 winners and it would be fair to say that his services have become much sought-after. Aside from being first-choice jockey to David Dennis, he was appointed stable jockey to Emma Lavelle in December 2023 and to Kim Bailey the following summer, when David Bass left to go freelance.

More recently, in November 25, Bellamy was promoted to first-choice jockey at Barbury Castle, replacing Tom Cannon, who had been stable jockey to King since the retirement of Wayne Hutchinson in 2019. At the time of writing, Bellamy has yet to ride a Grade 1 winner, but has five Grade 2 and five Grade 3 winners to his name, the most recent being Master Chewy, trained by Twiston-Davies, in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton on December 27, 2023.