Horse Racing Tips
The Top Female Horse Racing Jockeys Riding 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
