Category: Jockeys

The short answer is yes, they have; just one, but a landmark victory all the same. In his heyday, Bailey won the Grand National with Mr. Frisk in 1991 and completed the Champion Hurdle – Cheltenham Gold Cup double with Alderbrook and Master Oats in 1995. However, prior to January 23, 2021, he had failed to win another Grade 1 race for 9,444 days, or nearly 26 years. Nevertheless, on that day, he saddled the 9-year-old First Flow, ridden by David Bass, to win the Clarence House Chase at Ascot and record the third Grade 1 victory of his training career.

Reflecting on his success, Bailey said, ‘I was absolutely staggered, to be honest, because we both felt the ground wasn’t going to be soft enough and that if he had finished third he would have done very well. I admit I didn’t expect him to improve like that.’

Winning jockey David Bass also had two previous Grade 1 wins to his name, the Challow Hurdle at Newbury in December, 2015 on Barters Hill and the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, 2017 on Willoughby Court, both trained by Ben Pauling. Bass, who was recently elected Jumps President of the Professional Jockeys’ Association (PJA), began his riding career with the late Richard Phillips, before moving to Nicky Henderson – for whom he won the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock on Eradicate, as a 7lb claimer – and subsequently striking up a fruitful association with Bailey.

Although only in seventh place in the 2021 Flat Jockeys’ Championship, which is decided on winners between May 1 and October 16, Ben Curtis has made quite an impression since moving to Britain from his native Ireland in 2013. Born in Kinsale, County Cork on August 5, 1989, Curtis shared the Irish apprentices’ title with Joseph O’Brien and Gary Carroll in 2010 and, in Britain, has ridden over 50 winners in each of the last eight seasons. Indeed, he has ridden over 100 winners in the last four seasons and, in 2020, rode 170 winners in the calendar year, which was more than any other jockey in the country.

Interviewed in January, 2021, Middleham trainer Mark Johnston stated that Curtis would ride ‘more and more’ for his Kingsley Park yard during the year, although he was keen to point out that he does not have a formal arrangement with any jockey. He said, ‘…’the last formal retainer I had with any jockey was Kevin Darley [who retired, at the age of 47, in 2007], and that ended in about 2006.’ Johnston habitually uses the best jockeys available but, in recent years, has relied principally on Joe Fanning and Franny Norton, both of whom turned 51 during 2021. Consequently, he is keen to forge a relationship with a younger jockey who can take the place of one, or both, when they do eventually retire. In 2021, so far, Johnston has supplied Curtis with 48 winners from 284 rides at a strike rate of 17%.