Frankie Dettori is among the top jockeys riding today in the UK. (Photo credit: CC BY 2.0 by monkeywing).
Getting the leg up on racehorses comes with no guarantee of success. Professional jockeys get the same riding fee as others in the British Isles, incentivizing them to try and win.
The career earnings of some competing today have been far greater than others. Here are the most successful jockeys operating in the UK and Ireland in terms of prize money.
Frankie Dettori
Charismatic Italian rider Frankie Dettori has transcended the sport of horse racing. Even those who take a casual interest know who he is. Dettori is in the top five or six on the all-time richlist.
Frankie’s career earnings from the horses he has ridden in the UK alone are estimated at over £77,000,000 and counting. He has won every Group 1 race here bar one, the July Cup at Newmarket. From raids to Ireland, meanwhile, Dettori has amassed around £5,700,000 so far.
When you add in overseas prize money captured in Australia, Dubai, mainland Europe including France and his homeland, Hong Kong, Japan and the USA, he isn’t far off £150,000,000. What’s behind this success is riding for the most powerful owners and top stables. A long-standing relationship with Godolphin, whose racehorses operate around the globe, has played its part in Dettori’s international success.
He is also stable jockey to John Gosden, meaning rides on top British Flat stayer Stradivarius and the wonder-mare Enable in recent years. The former remains in training with Gosden in Newmarket, and has Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood on his agenda once again this year.
Stradivarius has multiple victories in Cup races at both of those prestigious meetings. With that proven form considered along with other factors, he should be regarded as a low-risk wager and expect him to be among the free horse racing tips available this summer despite his status as favourite for fifth consecutive Royal Ascot and Goodwood wins.
Ryan Moore
Ryan Moore is one of the leading riders in the UK (Photo credit: nakashi (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Over a decade younger than Dettori, Ryan Moore has the pick of rides for Ballydoyle backers and major owner-breeders Coolmore. The link-up with the Aidan O’Brien stable in Ireland has been so fruitful and propelled this jockey to so much success.
Moore has career earnings of more than £125,000,000. He has also won each of the five British Classics at least twice like Dettori, and is only missing the Irish Derby for the complete set in the Emerald Isle. There have also been major victories overseas for Moore including the Melbourne Cup in Australia and many of Hong Kong’s leading races.
Love was hugely impressive under Moore last season, winning the 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks, and this filly remains in training with all the big middle-distance races in Europe on her agenda this year.
O’Brien has kept her away from heavy ground, but a sounder surface could see her turn up at Longchamp in the autumn for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Among Love’s early-closing entries for Group 1 races in Ireland and here at UK where Moore could be aboard her are the Tattersalls Gold Cup in late May, the Coronation Cup at Epsom over The Oaks course and distance, and the Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh. This exciting combination looks almost certain to add to their career winnings throughout the Flat turf season.
