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The top female horse racing jockeys in the UK & Ireland

Horse racing is one of very few sports in which men and women compete on equal terms. 1972 saw the first female jockey, Meriel Tufnell, in the winners’ enclosure and, from then on, women’s influence on the sport – both in the saddle and out – has continued to grow.   

With ever-increasing numbers of women aspiring to be and becoming top jockeys, we take a look at the industry’s current key female jockeys from both the UK and Ireland.

Jockey and trainer odds

Rachael Blackmore 

Since riding her first winner in February 2011, Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore has gone from strength-to-strength. She has established herself as one of the best in the Irish weighing room and has formed a particularly deadly partnership with Henry de Bromhead in recent years. The duo combined for Blackmore’s first Cheltenham winner in 2019 when A Plus Tard bolted up to win the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase and they followed that up a few days later when Minella Indo was victorious in the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Her first Grade One success came on the De Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle in 2019. The pair have since won two Champion Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.

Those triumphs are dwarfed, however, by the record-breaking year she had in 2021, recording an incredible 11 Grade Ones, becoming the leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Grand National and landing the BBC World Sport Star of the Year in the process. There really is no one else like Rachael Blackmore.

Last year of Rachael Blackmore in Horse Racing

With over 30 victories this season already, Blackmore is in bristling form as usual. The 2022/23 season may barely have got going, but already 2023 has seen her win two races at the Cheltenham Festival, with Honeysuckle and Envoi Allen, one at the Aintree Festival – Inthepocket – and two Grade 2 races this month with Bob Olinger and Captain Guinness.

It seems that Rachael Blackmore will never stop striving for the highest heights in racing.

Hollie Doyle

Hollie Doyle is rewriting the flat racing history books and taking her code by storm. She is the first female jockey to ride five consecutive winners on a card and, in 2021, broke her own record of British winners ridden in a year for the second time; 2020 saw 150 winners, whereas the following year brought 172.

Big race wins across the globe followed, and the accomplishments did not stop there. After gaining national recognition for her talents, Doyle achieved a very respectable third in BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2020. Doyle has now ridden 16 Group winners across the Globe, including Trueshan, The Platinum Queen, Nashwa and Saffron Beach. Last year saw her break a new personal best in total winnings, reaching £3 million for the first time.

She is a shining light for British racing, breaking a new personal record every season.

Last year of Hollie Doyle in Horse Racing

Having ridden well over 100 winners this season, Hollie Doyle remains at the top of her game, adding five Group wins to her tally.

This included the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot with Bradsell, the G1 Falmouth Stakes with Nashwa and both the G2 Doncaster Cup and G1 Prix du Cadran with Trueshan.

Jockey and trainer odds

Bryony Frost 

The 2019 Jump Jockey of the Year has enjoyed a memorable rise to fame and has become one of the most well-regarded jockeys in the British weighing room. Perhaps Bryony Frost’s most well-known success came at the 2019 Cheltenham where she claimed a landmark victory aboard Frodon in the Ryanair Chase. It came after the 26-year-old sustained a terrible injury in 2018 and the brilliant victory on the Paul Nicholls-trained horse meant she was only the second woman to win a Grade One National Hunt race.

Since then, Frost has most famously partnered Frodon to win the King George VI Chase in 2021, and Greaneteen in the Tingle Creek Chase. In total, Frost’s tally of Graded victories currently totals 17.

Last year of Bryony Frost in Horse Racing

Having ridden 38 winners so far in 2023, Bryony Frost is in as good form as ever and has added the Grade 2 Select Hurdle to her ever-growing tally of high-level victories, having ridden Knappers Hill to win the race at Sandown in April.

Six winners up this month alone, there can be no doubt that Bryony Frost will add a few more graded wins to her list this season.

Horse racing odds

Joanna Mason 

Previously one of the UK’s top amateur jockeys for 14 seasons, Joanna Mason rode her first winner as an apprentice in 2020. The following year saw her ride 44 winners at a 12% strike rate and got her first century, putting her among the best Flat jockeys in the north of England.

Another personal best, Mason added 46 winners to the tally last year and, in 2023, is already in great form and looks to continue to go from strength to strength.

Last year of Joanna Mason in Horse Racing

Joanna Mason has ridden 31 winners in 2023 so far, including the likes of Mick and David Easterby’s Reach, who won a Heritage Handicap at York’s Ebor Festival, and Medbaas, who won an International Jockeys’ Challenge in Saudi Arabia in February.

Despite the Flat season being over, Mason is no less busy than usual, picking up plenty of rides on the all-weather through the winter.

Lilly Pinchin 

Tipped as ‘the next big thing’ by Ruby Walsh, Lilly Pinchin’s career in the saddle started on ponies. She started riding in pony races and eventually graduated to Point-to-Points.

Her first win under rules came in 2017 for Fergal O’Brien, and her tally of winners now stands at 75.

Now riding principally for Charlie Longsdon, who rates her very highly, Pinchin is operating on best-ever form this season with 14 winners so far.

Having already ridden three winners at Cheltenham, we can expect great things from her moving forwards.

Last year of Lilly Pinchin in Horse Racing

So far in 2023, Lilly Pinchin has ridden 20 winners for a number of trainers, including James Owen and Charlie Longsdon.

She has now ridden out her conditional claim, having ridden her 75th winner at Fakenham.

Now a professional jockey, her career will likely continue to go from strength to strength.

Hayley Turner

Hayley Turner is considered to be the first female jockey to have sustained a day-in, day-out successful career as a jockey at the highest level. She became the first female to ride 100 Flat winners in a calendar year, during a period where she rode in over 900 races, and has recently become the first female jockey to reach 1000 winners.

Her major wins include the July Cup and the Nunthorpe Stakes, both in 2011. She also became the first jockey to win at Royal Ascot in 32 years aboard Thanks Be in 2019.

Last year of Hayley Turner in Horse Racing

Besides hitting the 1000 mark for winners ridden in her career, Hayley Turner has steered home 36 winners so far this year.

Among the best of these was Britannia Stakes winner Docklands, who stormed home at Royal Ascot for trainer Harry Eustace.

Jockey and trainer odds

Saffie Osborne

Very successful in the eventing sphere before becoming an apprentice jockey, Saffie Osborne’s career in the saddle has gone from strength to strength, despite encountering some nasty injuries along the way which kept her on the sidelines for some time.

She has now ridden over 150 winners in the UK alone, but has also ridden in numerous races in Europe and the Middle East from the very beginning.

Osborne has ridden the winners of two Group 3 races to date, and will be looking to add to this tally in 2024.

Last year of Saffie Osborne in Horse Racing

The Lambourn-based jockey steered home the winners of the Chester Cup, the Group 3 Valiant Stakes and the Listed Godolphin Stakes in 2023, and was lauded by commentators across the season.

More can be expected from her this summer.

Alice Stevens

Having started as an amateur, Alice Stevens is currently a conditional jockey based with Henry Daly who has ridden a total of 23 winners for numerous trainers, also including Olly Murphy and Harry Derham.

Having won just shy of £200,000 in prize money and getting more rides season upon season, Alice Stevens in certainly a jockey on the up.

Last year of Alice Stevens in Horse Racing

From 76 rides so far this season, Alice Stevens has ridden 11 winners with a further 25 placing. Gaining traction now and being given more significant rides, there will be a lot more to come from this talented conditional.

Horse racing odds

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