Jump Jockey of the Year

JUMP

JOCKEY of the Year

DAVID BASS

BRIAN HUGHES RACHAEL BLACKMORE

HARRY SKELTON

THE NOMINATIONS

BY ADAM HOUGHTON

DAVID BASS

Kim Bailey had more than just First Flow to thank when winning the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January, the trainer’s first Grade 1 success in nearly 26 years. Clearly it was a career-best effort from First Flow, but the key to his victory was arguably the ride he was given by an inspired David Bass – “as good a ride as you’ll see over fences” in the words of Timeform in their post-race analysis.

That afternoon at Ascot provided the highlight of an association between Kim and David which now spans more than seven seasons. Previously based with Nicky Henderson, David also had a fruitful spell riding for Ben Pauling, Henderson’s one-time assistant trainer who gave the jockey the first Grade 1 wins of his career on Barters Hill and Willoughby Court.

With a total of 66 winners in Britain, David enjoyed by far his best season numerically in 2020/21. Even before First Flow’s Ascot triumph, Kim and David had teamed up with a succession of big Saturday winners during the autumn, including El Presente in the Badger Beers Silver Trophy and Imperial Aura in the 1965 Chase.

It’s also a sign of the regard in which David is held by his peers that he was named PJA Jumps President in October, taking over from former champion Richard Johnson. “It was humbling and flattering when I heard my name had been put forward by some colleagues as a potential successor to Dickie,” David said afterwards. “It is an honour and privilege and not a responsibility I take lightly.”

RACHAEL BLACKMORE

Minella Times capped a memorable campaign for Rachael Blackmore and trainer Henry de Bromhead with victory in the Grand National at Aintree. Rachael may have just become the first female rider to win the National, but that was the furthest thing from her mind afterwards as she struggled to take in what she had achieved. “I don’t feel male or female right now – I don’t even feel human,” she told ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman. “This is just unbelievable.”

It was a faultless ride aboard Minella Times and everything we had come to expect from Rachael after her record-breaking achievements at the Cheltenham Festival three weeks earlier, a meeting at which she was crowned the leading jockey for the first time with six winners.

Rachael’s beloved Honeysuckle was the star act when winning the Champion Hurdle. That ride was perhaps most notable for the simplicity in its execution, but the versatility demonstrated by Rachael elsewhere at the meeting really was something to marvel at. Deadly from the front when partnering Sir Gerhard to victory in the Champion Bumper, Rachael later proved confidence personified when bringing Telmesomethinggirl through from the rear to win the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Rachael couldn’t peg back Paul Townend in the race to be crowned Ireland’s champion jump jockey in 2020/21, but she didn’t leave the season-ending Punchestown Festival empty-handed as Honeysuckle delivered on the big stage once again. That success was Honeysuckle’s twelfth from as many races under Rules, all of them achieved under Rachael as the pair have soared to the top of the sport in tandem.

BRIAN HUGHES

Brian Hughes ended last season with a total of 142 winners in Britain, matching the tally he racked up when winning the jockeys’ championship in 2019/20. Admittedly, that number wasn’t quite enough for him to defend his title this time, but he still enjoyed another hugely successful campaign thanks to the support of a whole host of trainers around the country.

Donald McCain (47) and Nicky Richards (16) teamed up with Brian for more winners than anyone else last season, while the Nick Alexander-trained Lake View Lad gave the jockey his biggest success of the season in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree in December. In total, Brian rode for 105 different yards in Britain in 2020/21, underlining how widely his talents are appreciated, not just in the north where he is the leading jockey on the National Hunt circuit.

“The championship is of course the main aim,” Brian told Great British Racing after reaching 100 winners for the season at Musselburgh in February. “Winning it last year has made me even hungrier and determined to win it again and retain my title. I will keep trying my hardest to hopefully become champion jockey once again come the end of the season.”

In the end it wasn’t to be, as Brian had to settle for the runner-up spot after riding 10 fewer winners than Harry Skelton. He didn’t wallow in that disappointment, however, and he is now in pole position to reclaim the title in 2021/22, having reached 100 in a record time for a northern-based rider two weeks ago.

HARRY SKELTON

The jockeys’ championship in Britain was still in the balance heading into the final four weeks of the 2020/21 season. In fact, Brian Hughes still had a lead of six winners at that stage, but the momentum was very much with Harry Skelton, who went on to ride 32 winners – twice as many as Brian – in the space of 28 days to be crowned champion jockey for the first time in his career.

It was an entertaining title race but one which inevitably took its toll on those involved. “It’s been a battle,” Harry told BBC Sport after receiving his trophy on the final day of the season at Sandown. “The only time I was mentally comfortable was when I was on the horse in the race and could do something about it. The rest of the time I just felt helpless.”

Harry certainly had the right people in his corner if he was feeling helpless. His father Nick, who won Olympic equestrian gold at the Rio Games in 2016, was always close at hand for advice, while the yard of brother Dan proved a relentless source of winners. Out of a total of 152, Harry rode only 16 winners for outside yards, with the rest all coming from an operation which is growing stronger by the year and is very much a family-run affair.

It wasn’t all about quantity either, as Harry partnered five winners at the very top level in 2020/21, with two of them coming in the space of just 40 minutes on a memorable afternoon at Sandown in December.