Royal Ascot: Wathnan Secures World’s Best Jockey for Extra Rides on Gold Cup Day
The Racing Post has learned that Shadwell Estate Company Ltd’s Wathnan has secured the services of the world’s best jockey, Ryan Moore, for extra rides on Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot. The news comes as no surprise, given Moore’s impressive record at the prestigious meeting.
According to the Racing Post, Moore is odds-on to be crowned Royal Ascot’s leading jockey for a 12th time, having won the award in each of the last three years. His impressive tally of 85 winners is the most of any active jockey, although he still falls short of Lester Piggott’s remarkable 116.
In a tale of unsurprising Ballydoyle domination, Aidan O’Brien has also been the leading trainer for three years running, with 13 overall awards and 91 Royal Ascot winners in total – both records. O’Brien’s stable has been in scintillating form of late, with a stunning weekend at Epsom that saw them win the Coronation Cup, Oaks, and Derby.
As the Racing Post reports, Moore is 1-2 with Coral to be the leading jockey in 2025, while O’Brien is 4-7 to be leading trainer. Such dominance is hard to bet against, although there are still opportunities for other trainers and jockeys to make an impact.
The Racing Post has obtained the latest odds for the leading trainer and jockey markets at Royal Ascot. The current standings are as follows:
Royal Ascot leading trainer
Coral: 4-7 Aidan O’Brien, 2 Charlie Appleby, 7 John & Thady Gosden, 20 Willie Mullins, 25 Ralph Beckett, 33 Karl Burke, 40 William Haggas, Andrew Balding
Royal Ascot leading jockey
Coral: 1-2 Ryan Moore, 9-2 James Doyle, 5 William Buick, 7 Colin Keane, 16 James McDonald, Oisin Murphy, 40 Tom Marquand, Jim Crowley
A review of the last five years at Royal Ascot reveals the extent of O’Brien and Moore’s dominance. The table below illustrates their impressive record:
| Year | O’Brien | Moore |
| — | — | — |
| 2024 | 6 (leading trainer) | 6 (leading jockey) |
| 2023 | 4 (leading trainer) | 6 (leading jockey) |
| 2022 | 5 (leading trainer) | 7 (leading jockey) |
| 2021 | 2 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 |
This level of success is hard to ignore, and it will take a significant upset for either O’Brien or Moore not to claim their respective titles this year. As the Racing Post continues to monitor developments at Royal Ascot, one thing is certain: with Ryan Moore on board, Wathnan’s chances of success on Gold Cup Day have certainly increased.
Further updates on Royal Ascot will be provided by the Racing Post as more information becomes available. In the meantime, racing fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest news and odds by visiting the Racing Post website.
The news was first reported by the Racing Post.
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