While we often focus on the horses and their accomplishments, none of it would be possible without the guidance of a trained jockey.
A jockey’s training takes place over many years, and by the end of it they are able to tackle any obstacle that they find themselves facing on the tack.
Whether it’s for money, fame, or the chance to be the best, there are few other sportsmen that are quite as well-trained or as disciplined as the modern jockey, and this shows through the long line of the successful riders over the years. These are some of the best jockeys that the world has ever seen, and the kind of talent seen from professional online horse betting Australia.
Laffit Pincay Jr
Laffit Pincay Jr. was one the best racing winners of all time, and still holds the second place decades after his retirement. His 8834th win took place on the 10th of December 1999 at Hollywood Park Racetrack while riding Irish Nip, where he broke a career record that had been previously held by Bill Shoemaker.
Pincay Jr. has also won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes both in 1984, along with four Triple Crown victories. By the time he retired, he had 9530 career victories under his belt, and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1975.
Bill Shoemaker
William Shoemaker won his first race when he was only 18, and before he retired at the age of 41, he had claimed more than 8882 more. Over that time, he had won virtually ever race that was held in North America, which included five Belmont wins, four for Kentucky Derby, twice for the Preakness, and the Breeder’s Cup Classic.
He never earned the Triple Crown cup, but his many other accomplishments throughout his career makes him one of history’s most successful riders.
Lester Piggott
Lester Piggott made a name for himself in the UK racing scene when he was 18 after he won the Epsom Derby, which would be the first of nine wins for the event. He was tall for a jockey, standing at 5’8’’, and was known as ‘The Long Fellow”.
He was also known for creating an entirely new way or racing that has since influenced many generations of successive jockeys over the years. Piggott went on to win most of the major European events during his time on the track, which included a total of 30 British Classic races.
Pat Day
Pat Day is a four-time victor of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, and in 1991 he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Day has won the U.S. Triple Crown nine times, and the Canadian Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Distaff in 1991.
He is the only jockey to have ridden one mount in each of the first 20 Breeders’ Cups, and remains second of all time in winnings for the event, ending his career with a total of 12 victories under his belt.
