Following a dramatic British Champions Day at Ascot, the curtain has now been drawn on another thrilling flat racing season. We’ve seen some top-class action throughout the year, and there have been some standout performances from the best in the business.
Several jockeys have enjoyed exceptional campaigns, and it’s been interesting to watch both the top dogs battle it out, and the younger stars hoping to earn their stripes in the sport. With another cracking season behind us, let’s take a look at three jockeys who were making all the headlines in 2021.
Oisin Murphy
If you’re browsing Betdaq and trying to figure out who to back, Oisin Murphy is usually a pretty reliable bet. For the third season running, Murphy has been crowned Champion Jockey, after another stellar year saw him rack up 153 winners, and despite the Irishman having a few controversies along the way, he is fast becoming one of flat racing’s elite riders.
There were a few major wins to his name in 2021, including the Coronation Stakes at Ascot and the Sussex Stakes with the talented Alcohol Free. There was also a victory at Longchamp in France with Zellie in the Prix Marcel Boussac. At 26, Murphy still has room to improve, and next season he’ll be hoping to become the first flat racing rider since Pat Eddery to win the Champion Jockey accolade four times on the spin.
William Buick
Whilst Murphy may have pipped William Buick to the Champion Jockey title by just two winners, you could argue that the latter has had by far the better season in terms of results in the biggest races. Often riding for in-form trainer Charlie Appleby, Buick has been one of the standout performers of 2021, and has a number of impressive triumphs to his name.
The biggest of these came with Hurricane Lane in the prestigious St Leger Stakes, and when you add that to a list of wins that includes the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Dewhurst Stakes, the Sun Chariot Stakes, the Irish Derby and the Champion Sprint Stakes, it tells the story of a jockey who has never been in better form in his career.
Tom Marquand
Although some distance back from Murphy and Buick at the top of the tree, Tom Marquand finished third in the Champion Jockey standings and has had a quietly impressive campaign. After winning the St Leger Stakes and Champion Stakes in 2020, Marquand got a few good results under his belt in 2021, notching 117 wins in total.
One of his best performances of the season came in the July Cup at Newmarket with Starman, who held off the attention of Dragon Symbol, Oxted and Art Power. There was also a win for Marquand in Australia with Addeybb emerging victorious in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for the second year running.
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Special mention must go to the likes of Hollie Doyle, David Probert, James Doyle and Ben Curtis, who also racked up their fair share of victories, but as we look ahead towards the 2022 campaign, you can bet that Murphy, Buick and Marquand will be right at the top of the game once again.
