On December 31, 19-year-old jockey Billy Loughnane, now in his fourth year of professional riding, surpassed a 22-year-old British record, according to reports from the Racing Post. In the sixth race at Lingfield, Loughnane clinched victory in the Invited gate-to-wire, marking his 222nd flat race win this year and breaking Kieren Fallon’s 2003 record of 221 wins.
Loughnane’s 222 victories represent the highest number of flat wins in a single year since 2000, when jockey Gordon Richards set the unmatched benchmark of 269 wins in 1946. Loughnane expressed his passion for the sport, saying, “When I’m not riding, I’m bored. I love what I do and am fortunate to ride some exceptional horses,” as reported by the Racing Post.
This record-breaking achievement highlights a landmark year for the young Irish jockey, who also won his first Group 1 race in Germany’s Westminster 135 Grosser Preis von Berlin aboard the experienced Rebels Romance. Additionally, Loughnane secured third place finishes this year in both the Breeders’ Cup Turf on El Cordobes and the Breeders’ Cup Mares Turf on Diamond Lane.
For more details, visit racingpost.com.
Fan Take: Billy Loughnane’s record-breaking season is a thrilling moment for horse racing enthusiasts, signaling the rise of a new superstar in the sport. His success not only honors historic achievements but also injects fresh excitement and inspiration for the future of flat racing.
