Jump Jockey of the Year

JUMP

JOCKEY of the Year

RACHAEL BLACKMORE

BRIAN HUGHES SEAN BOWEN

SAM WALEY-COHEN

JUMP JOCKEY OF THE YEAR by James Stevens THE NOMINATIONS

RACHAEL BLACKMORE

It has been another phenomenal 12 months for last year’s winner who added a Cheltenham Gold Cup and another Champion Hurdle to her glittering CV in 2022.

Blackmore’s history-making Grand National victory in April last year played a crucial role in helping her win at the Derby Awards last December and she has built on it by continuing to showcase her talents on racing’s biggest stages. The exceptional Honeysuckle has once again played a huge role in her fantastic year. The unbeaten mare was as brilliant as ever last season, dominating in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in February before once again stealing the opening day show at the Cheltenham Festival with an easy Champion Hurdle win. While Honeysuckle was a short price, Blackmore was as composed as ever, steering her into the lead approaching the penultimate fight before powering up the hill to reward the many punters who had described her as the meeting’s Irish banker. Rachael added a second, admittedly fortunate, winner for the week when Bob Olinger took advantage of the fall of Galopin des Champs in the Turners Novices’ Chase. However, she was poised to make even more history by becoming the first female rider to win the Gold Cup. Blackmore was second on A Plus Tard to stablemate Minella Indo last year but trusted her mount to deliver this time round and was rewarded with a smooth victory in the meeting’s signature race. Once again unfazed by the pressure of being a big-race favourite, she pierced through the pack on the run-in before charging clear of the reigning champion after the last. It will go down as a historic moment for the sport. Rachael didn’t rest on her laurels after Cheltenham – a Punchestown Champion Hurdle win on Honeysuckle and two big winners at the Galway Festival followed, while she kicked of the latest season in a similar vein of form when riding Envoi Allen to the first Grade 1 of the season in Ireland. She helped him return to his best when striking in the Champion Chase at Down Royal. Racing’s leading lady has had yet another huge year.

SEAN BOWEN

He has extremely high standards yet Sean Bowen is still managing to progress year on year and last season celebrated his best campaign yet.

The Welsh wonder rode a total of 94 winners in the 2021-22 campaign - beating his previous best by three - and all while doing so with a rather healthy strike-rate just shy of 20 per cent. His wins in a phenomenal campaign included a highly memorable victory on Mac Tottie in the Topham for father Peter Bowen. Sean also kicked off the year by guiding the rejuvenated Metier back to form to win at the inaugural Winter Million meeting at Lingfield in one of the season’s richest handicap hurdles. He was to land another premier two-mile handicap hurdle when steering Anna Bunina to victory in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr. Yet there have been absolutely no signs Bowen is taking it easy – he is already closing in on a first century after a sensational summer, well clear of the rest in pursuit of defending champion Brian Hughes. At the time of writing, he is closing in on the 75-winner mark. Given the dedication he is showing, he is on course to enjoy his most successful campaign yet, He has simply been all over the country this season too, from Newton Abbot to Ayr and Ffos Las to Perth. His hard work and talents have not gone unnoticed and he was selected as the new jockey for this year’s Grand National winner Noble Yeats following the retirement of Sam Waley-Cohen. The pair needed little time in getting to know each other, recording a decisive win in a listed chase at Wexford in October. Sean has established powerful links with the likes of Gordon Elliott, Harry Fry and Olly Murphy while staying loyal to the smaller yards which have helped him on the way. All of those have contributed to another breakthrough season for Bowen, and who knows how good it could get, come April.

BRIAN HUGHES

Many call him British racing’s busiest man and Brian Hughes once again ensured his many miles and dedication would be rewarded with a second jockeys’ championship.

Even by his own remarkable standards, Brian had a stellar season in 2021/22, riding 204 winners, from 956 rides in total. He operated at a 21 per cent strike-rate across the season, highlighting how his talent matched his dedication. While the majority of victories for the shining light of northern racing came on his home patch – he was in the winner’s enclosure at Sedgefield no fewer than 32 times – he tasted success at 24 courses up and down the country. Trips to Plumpton and Newton Abbot for just a couple of rides are indicative of Brian’s relentless quest for winners. Hughes’s fantastic campaign was a terrific response to the agony of losing the previous season’s championship to Harry Skelton. The pair were neck and neck in a thrilling race that was in the balance into the final week, but the 2021-22 campaign was more like a walkover, with Hughes always in control, helped by a flying start in May when he rode 15 winners. There was simply no stopping him. In the end and he had an advantage of over a century from runner-up Sam Twiston-Davies. Big winners included success in the Premier Chase at Kelso on Nuts Well and victory on Minella Drama in the Altcar Novices’ Chase at Haydock. Brian has also made a flying start to the latest campaign, reaching the century mark in early November and doing so with an excellent one-in-four strike-rate. He also landed the prestigious Old Roan Chase with Riders On the Storm at Aintree in October. Brian Hughes won this award in 2020, his exploits in 2022 make him a worthy candidate to land the prize again.

SAM WALEY-COHEN

What better way to sign off your career in the saddle than by riding the Grand National winner. In April, Sam Waley-Cohen ensured his incredible career would enjoy a fitting send-off on 50-1 shot Noble Yeats for Emmet Mullins.

Having announced his intention to retire following his ride in the world’s most famous steeplechase, Sam and Noble Yeats produced an exemplary performance at Aintree to stun his rivals and ensure the rider, an amateur in name only such is his talent, would continue his extraordinary record over jump racing’s most famous fences. Waley-Cohen kept his cool as he held a position in the rear before creeping his way into contention, powering his mount to the front approaching the penultimate fence. The pair needed to be brave at the finish to deny Any Second Now and become National history makers. For the rider, it would be another big win on his CV over the fences. Sam also landed the Topham with Liberthine (2006) and Rajdhani Express (2015) and remains the only jockey to have won the Aintree Foxhunters’ three times, with success aboard Katarino in 2005 and 2006 and Warne in 2014. Waley-Cohen bowed out as one of the best amateur riders to have ever competed in the sport. In 2011 he became the first amateur in 30 years to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in an epic renewal when he and Long Run toppled those two titans Denman and Kauto Star. He also won Cheltenham Festival prizes with Liberthine (2005), Tricky Trickster (2009) and Rajdhani Express (2013). In total, Sam rode 75 winners across a riding career stretching over two decades. All of this came at the same time as he was establishing a network of dental practices. An incredible riding career got the ending it deserved.