In an era when racing must strive to stand out from the crowd and attract a new, younger audience, the idea of a league competition has already been well-visited. Building on the concept of the international Shergar Cup Day at Ascot, the Racing League and its regional teams have proven to be a hit with racegoers. More recently, the inaugural David Power Jockeys’ Cup added intrigue to the 2024/25 National Hunt campaign.
Both the Racing League and the David Power Jockeys’ Cup will return in 2025, whilst 2026 may see a new star-studded jockeys competition added to the mix. The brainchild of former Godolphin chief executive, James Ferguson, and ex-chief financial officer of Entain, Lachlan Fitt, the new $15m league aims to increase the international appeal of the sport.
How Will the League Work?
Exact details of how the competition will work remain a little hazy at this stage. However, we do have a broad idea of what may unfold.
Under the proposed arrangement, each jockey involved will be a shareholder in the league and their individual team. To ensure continuity and spectator engagement, jockeys will ride in team silks in each event, as opposed to the traditional colours of the owners.
Turning to the races, the organisers aim to kick off with a six-race programme in 2026 before ultimately expanding to 10 events. Races are expected to target a similar calibre of horse as that of Shergar Cup Day, i.e. those towards the upper end of the handicap but below pattern class.
Jockeys will earn points according to their finishing positions in each of the league races, with the highest-performing rider claiming the title.
The Jockeys
In summing up the aims of the new initiative, Lachlan Fitt stated:
“The concept really came about when we’ve watched the success of other sports when they’ve been able to harness the power of their human athletes and really drive a new level of engagement with a new group of fans by essentially building those human athletes into global icons.”
Elevating from a big name within an individual sport to a global icon is quite a brief for the jockeys involved. However, the league may have the riders to deliver on that goal, with the following dozen predicted to make up the inaugural lineup.
- Frankie Dettori – Of course Frankie is involved. He of the magnificent seven is undoubtedly the most instantly recognisable rider of the 21st century and brings immediate star appeal
- Ryan Moore – For many, the most talented jockey currently plying his trade. Number one at Ballydoyle and a top-level winner around the world, the involvement of the three-time Champion Jockey is guaranteed to increase interest
- William Buick – It takes a special rider to earn the accolade of being number one at Godolphin’s British operation. A 90-time Group 1 winner Buick is just that
- James McDonald – With 116 top-level wins and a Melbourne Cup success, McDonald is a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and boasts a huge fanbase Down Under
- Joao Moreira – Described by the Hong Kong Jockey Club as “one of Brazil’s greatest sporting exports”, 41-year-old Moreira has grabbed big race wins in Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, UAE, Argentina, Uruguay, and his homeland
- Zac Purton – Often lining up against Moreira, Australian jockey Purton has won more races than any rider in the history of Hong Kong racing on his way to seven Hong Kong Jockeys’ Championship titles
- Christophe Lemaire – Legendary Frenchman Lemaire predominantly plies his trade in Japan, where he has matched Purton’s tally of seven Jockeys’ Championships. His international triumphs include wins in the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, and Dubai Sheema Classic
- Mickael Barzalona – The man behind the most confident celebration in Epsom Derby history (Pour Moi 2011), Barzalona is a top-level winner in France, Great Britain, Italy, UAE, and the USA
- Yutaka Take – The old man of the lineup, Japanese sensation Yutaka Take is still going strong at 56 years of age. A winner of a Graded race for 36 consecutive years, he holds the record for the most wins in the prestigious Japan Cup
- Irad Ortiz Jr – Born in Puerto Rico, Irad has made his name on the New York Racing scene. A five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, he has 14 Breeders’ Cup wins, including two in the Classic, and a Dubai World Cup on his spectacular CV
- Flavien Prat – Having claimed the French Champion Apprentice Jockey title in 2009, Prat set sail for the USA in 2015. Ten years later, he is amongst the biggest names on the US Racing scene, with wins in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and four at the Breeders’ Cup
- Vincent Ho – Another star of the Hong Kong racing scene, Vincent C Y Ho is a former Champion Apprentice with 13 Group 1 wins to his name. Ho is best known for his association with the sensational Golden Sixty, who won 26 times at the track, including 10 Group 1 events
How big a hit the global racing league becomes remains to be seen. However, with such a star-studded cast, it has every chance of making a huge splash on the international scene.