Jockey Billy Loughnane is set to broaden his horizons later this year by linking up with the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable in Australia.
Great Britain’s Champion Apprentice Jockey of 2023 is heading to Sydney for a couple of months to gain experience in one the world’s leading racing jurisdictions.
The 18-year-old has been tipped to achieve big things in the sport and the temporary switch to Australia could work wonders for his career.
Loughnane made his racecourse debut in October 2022 and quickly got himself on the scoreboard with a winner at Wolverhampton the following month.
Just 12 months on from his first-ever professional ride, Loughnane cemented the progress he had made by being crowned champion apprentice at Ascot.
Billy Loughnane has won his first race at Royal Ascot 🎩
Huge congratulations to the 2023 Champion apprentice jockey 👏 pic.twitter.com/JaMPjvIn3d
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) June 18, 2024
The teenager has impressed again during the current calendar year, booting home an impressive 92 winners by the end of July.
His tally includes two victories at the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting aboard Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes and Soprano in the Sandringham Stakes.
Loughnane has also recorded notable successes in France and Germany, and will now have the chance to further his development in Australia.
However, the young jockey has other targets he wants to achieve before teaming up with Waterhouse and Bott on the Sydney circuit.
He is currently leading the standings in the inaugural United Kingdom & Ireland World Pool Jockeys’ Championship, a series based on results in World Pool races.
Loughnane has pledged to donate the £50,000 prize to a mental health charity close to his home in Birmingham if he emerges victorious.
“There are so many worthwhile causes out there but I will be donating the money, if I finish top, to the Christy Lambe Foundation,” Loughnane said.
“This is a charity that is very close to my heart, and Christy’s Dad, Michael, is my sponsor, through his company Lambe Construction. The charity has not been running long and it would mean a huge deal to them if I could win this money.
“Not only would it be fantastic to win such a big amount of money for the charity, but it would be great to repay the support the family has shown to me.”
Winning the World Pool title would be a superb way for Loughnane to sign off the season ahead of his temporary switch to Australia.
The move not only provides Loughnane with the opportunity to hone his talents in a different environment, but also opens the door for him to compete in top-class international races.
These include the Melbourne Cup, a race Waterhouse previously won with Fiorente in 2013. Her stable is guaranteed to have runners in the race this year.
Loughnane’s potential participation in such a prestigious event would undoubtedly ramp up interest among UK bettors in ‘the race that stops the nation’.
A horse previously trained in the UK could be a possible mount for Loughnane following his big-money switch to Australia last October.
Balance Play was bought for AU$1.155 million by McKeever Bloodstock, Waterhouse and Bott after impressing in high-class handicaps for English trainer Ralph Beckett.
While he is yet to make his debut in Australia, Balance Play is worth monitoring in the Melbourne Cup betting over the next few weeks.
Waterhouse was recently extremely bullish about three mystery international imports, and stable insiders have confirmed one of them is Balance Play.
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, who was responsible for the sale of Balance Play, confirmed earlier this year that the horse will likely be aimed at the Melbourne Cup.
Given the horse spent his formative years running in the UK, it would be no surprise to see Waterhouse and Bott book Loughnane to ride him.
Waterhouse has trained more than 150 Group 1 winners during her career and the stable has improved further since Bott came on board.
Acquiring Loughnane’s services looks to be an excellent move by an operation which has become renowned for its shrewd decision making over the past few years.
Loughnane will be eager to make an impact in Australia and riding the winner of the Melbourne Cup would be a great way to cement his status as one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.