Rising star Billy Loughnane becomes first jockey to ride 100 Flat winners in 2025

Rising star Billy Loughnane has reached another milestone by becoming the first jockey to ride 100 Flat winners in 2025. The 19-year-old burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old at the end of 2022 and has rapidly become one of the hottest riders on the British circuit.

The son of Kidderminster trainer Mark Loughnane was crowned champion apprentice in his first full season as a jockey when he rode 130 winners. Last year, when he also rode his first Royal Ascot winners, he finished with a score of 162 and was placed fourth in the Flat jockeys’ championship behind Oisin Murphy.

His 2025 campaign began with another accolade when he was crowned All-Weather champion jockey and he has maintained his relentless rise despite being hit the an 11-day ban early in the turf season.

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With nine winners in the last fortnight, Loughnane overtook Murphy, who is on 98, to become the winning-most rider of this year.

Then on Friday he hit the century mark when he steered the Andrew Balding-trained Gewan to victory in a 7f novices race for two-year-olds at Newbury. So far this year his rides have earned more than £1.3 million in prize-money.

There is still work to be done if he is to win the jockeys’ title, which is decided by wins recorded between May 3 and October 18. In that table, Loughnane lies fourth with 38 wins, behind Murphy (61), William Buick (44) and Rossa Ryan (41).

“I think he’s going to improve massively,” Loughnane told Sky Sports Racing. “He’s a big boy and he actually did everything very smoothly. He jumped nice and rolled forward, I would have liked a lead a little longer into the race but he was going so well and he was still very green off the bridle, probably a little bit greener than I expected being a breeze-up horse. I think he’s talented and hopefully he’s a horse on the up.”

Loughnane, who rides as first jockey to Newmarket trainer George Boughey, secured his first Group victory of the year at York last week and has ridden four winners from six rides for Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby.

He said of his latest feat: “I’m delighted to get my hundredth winner up this calendar year. Some of the highlights are being champion all-weather jockey and some nice winners at some of the bigger meetings like Newmarket on Dance To The Music for Mr Appleby and some nice horses.

Hopefully we can try and knock a few more up."

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