Flat racing's 'Billy the Kid' wants more than just title

Key points

• Billy Loughnane, 20, will be crowned champion flat jockey at Ascot on Saturday.
• He leads Oisin Murphy by 29 winners with 222 victories this year.
• Loughnane aims to break Sir Gordon Richards' 1947 record of 269 flat winners.

Billy Loughnane, at 20 the youngest professional flat jockey in over a century, will be crowned champion jockey at Ascot on Saturday. He leads his nearest rival, Oisin Murphy, by 29 winners, with 222 victories this year.

Four years ago, Loughnane had not ridden in a professional race. In January 2023, BBC Sport visited him at his family's yard in Worcestershire, where as a 16-year-old he had already racked up more than 20 winners early in the year.

From apprentice to champion

Loughnane, nicknamed 'Billy the Kid', said his rise has been 'an extraordinary couple of years'. When he began as an apprentice at Newcastle in October 2022, the idea of winning the title seemed 'absolutely crazy'.

He admitted feeling pressure 'not to let it slip' until a few weeks ago, when Murphy conceded he could not catch him. Loughnane then began to enjoy the run-in.

I'd have said, 'that's absolutely crazy, what have you been drinking?'

— Billy Loughnane

Records and future goals

With 222 winners, Loughnane has his sights on Sir Gordon Richards' 1947 Flat record of 269 winners in a calendar year. He also mentioned Sir AP McCoy's record of 289 winners over jumps.

He said he will assess in December whether the record is realistic, adding: 'I'll be giving it my best shot until the start of December.'

Key partnership and notes

Loughnane's partnership with trainer George Boughey has been pivotal. He rode Boughey's Bow Echo to three Group 1 wins, including the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, which he called his best buzz.

He keeps detailed notes on every horse in a WhatsApp group with himself. 'I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I wasn't,' he said.