Jim Crowley (born 14 July 1978)[1] is an English jockey who was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 2016. He has ridden as first jockey for Hamdan Al-Maktoum's Shadwell racing operation since 2016.
Background
editCrowley was born in Ascot and as a child competed in pony racing, including the Shetland Pony Grand National at the London International Horse Show.[2] He rode as an amateur flat race jockey before switching to National Hunt racing, riding for the stable of Sue Smith in West Yorkshire.[3]
Career on the flat
editHaving ridden approximately 300 winners over jumps, Crowley returned to flat racing when he was 27, riding for his sister-in-law, Amanda Perrett at Pulborough. In 2010 he became stable jockey for Ralph Beckett.[3] His first Group win came in October 2006 when he rode Hawridge Prince to victory for Rod Millman in the Group 3 Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket.[4] His first Group 1 was with the Karl Burke-trained Lord Shanakill in the 2009 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly in France.[4] Crowley won the British Champion Jockeys title in 2016, beating the 2015 champion, Silvestre de Sousa, into second place and breaking the record for most winners ridden in a month with 46 victories in September.[3] In November 2016 Jim Crowley was announced as the new number one jockey to leading owner Hamdan al-Maktoum's Shadwell racing operation.[5] His retainer brought him more Group 1 victories and increased prize money at the expense of chasing winners for a second champion jockey title. Shadwell Group 1 winners included the sprinter Battaash, Hukum and Baaeed.[4] Crowley's winning ride on Hukum in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July 2023 proved controversial as the jockey was banned for 20 days and fined £10,000 under the new whip rules for having used his whip nine times during the race, three times over the six allowed.[6]
Personal life
editCrowley is married to Lucinda Harwood, daughter of former trainer Guy Harwood, and has two daughters and a son. He lives in West Sussex.[3]
Major wins
edit
- British Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes - (2) - Madame Chiang (2014), Eshaada (2021)
- Champion Stakes - (1) Anmaat (2024)
- Commonwealth Cup - (1) - Eqtidaar (2018)
- Coronation Cup - (1) Hukum (2022)
- Eclipse Stakes - (1) - Ulysses (2017)
- Falmouth Stakes - (1) - Nazeef (2020)
- Haydock Sprint Cup - (1) - Minzaal (2022)
- International Stakes - (2) - Ulysses (2017), Baaeed (2022)
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes - (1) - Hukum (2023)
- King's Stand Stakes - (2) - Prohibit (2011), Battaash (2020)
- Lockinge Stakes - (1) - Baaeed (2022)
- Nassau Stakes - (1) - Al Husn (2023)
- Nunthorpe Stakes - (2) - Battaash (2019, 2020)
- Prince of Wales's Stakes - (1) - Mostahdaf (2023)
- Queen Anne Stakes - (1) - Baaeed (2022)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - (1) - Baaeed (2021)
- Sun Chariot Stakes - (1) Nazeef (2020)
- Sussex Stakes - (3) - Here Comes When (2017), Mohaather (2020), Baaeed (2022)
- Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp - (1) - Battaash (2017)
- Prix d'Ispahan - (1) - Anmaat (2023)
- Prix Jean Prat - (1) - Lord Shanakill (2009)
- Prix du Moulin de Longchamp - (1) - Baaeed (2021)
- Gran Premio Merano - (1) - Masini (2004)
References
edit- ^ FlatStats. "Jim Crowley Jockey Stats for Flat Turf Horse Racing". www.flatstats.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Champions galore — the next generation of jockeys lines up at Olympia". Horse & Hound. 3 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Flying high at Royal Ascot: All you need to know about winning jockey Jim Crowley". Horse & Hound. 18 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Jim Crowley". Racing Post. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ Wood, Greg (24 November 2016). "Jim Crowley named new No1 rider for owner Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum". The Guardian.
- ^ "Jim Crowley handed 20-day ban and fined £10,000 for overuse of the whip on King George winner Hukum". Racing Post. 1 August 2023.