Arabian Racing Achievement Award

The Arabian Racing Achievement Award 2022

PHILIP COLLINGTON

Having a solid family background of hunting and point-to-pointing, it’s somewhat surprising that five-time Arabian Racing Organisation leading jockey Philip Collington, didn’t start riding until his midteens. Getting the racing bug whilst at agricultural college, he’s not looked back, riding his first winner as an amateur on the Flat in 2001, as well as a handful over hurdles before focussing his efforts on Arabians. His first ride in HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s colours was a winning one in 2003, as was his second, and his third, which led to him spending the winter riding work in Dubai with His Highness’s Arabian trainer Gill Duffield. On his return, he accepted the position of retained amateur to Sheikh Hamdan, riding many of his best Arabians at home and on the track. Then, having become Duffield’s assistant, he inherited half her string on her retirement in 2015. As a trainer, his focus has always been on quality over quantity. He hit the ground running with three black-type wins for his chief patron, who was present to watch Dane O’Neill steer the fragile Radames to Group 1PA victory on Dubai Day at Newbury. Jamaayil would later provide Collington with a first overseas PA Group win in Toulouse. Though the majority of his winners were for Sheikh Hamdan, also in his stable were horses from HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Ahmed’s Athbah Racing, who supplied another toplevel winner the following year in Mith’hath Athbah. 2018 has been his best UK season numerically to date, producing 24 winners and 28 placed horses from 83 runners, securing his first ARO trainers title. With more black type success for Athbah Racing, it was clear they were becoming a potent force in the sport and Collington was now regularly travelling and winning with their horses in Europe and the Gulf. The most notable of which was Mashhur Al Khalediah, winner of the $1 millon Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi, before finishing third in the Obaiya Arabian Classic at the inaugural Saudi Cup meeting in 2020. The horses that earned them the 2022 UK Arabian leading trainer and owner titles were all Athbah homebreds, who also helped UAE champion Tadhg O’Shea to capture the ARO top jockey award. However Collington hasn’t forgotten his roots, still training for small owner-breeders such as John Elliott who supplied him with rides and his first winner as a trainer. He has also given a start to young jockeys, most notably Royal Ascot winning apprentice Laura Pearson, who joined him whilst still at school. Athbah Racing were one of the leading buyers from Shadwell’s Arabian dispersal and the first foals from Collington’s first Group winners for Sheikh Hamdan are being broken in for next season. Newmarket-based, he has just relocated to Hamilton Road, a few yards up from where he started with Duffield at Eve Lodge, and he’s hoping to further retrace his steps with success for Athbah in the Gulf this winter.

By Debbie Burt