George Boughey makes bold Billy Loughnane claim as he predicts top jockey can become a ‘great trainer’

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George Boughey believes his own moderate ability in the saddle was a plus for his training career given the difficulties top jockeys find in making the transition – but he believes Billy Loughnane will prove an exception and can become a “great trainer” in the future.

Boughey has come a long way from the stable hand who was “carted up Long Hill” when riding out for family friend Michael Bell as a young man and won his second Newmarket Classic two weeks ago thanks to Bow Echo’s spectacular victory in the 2,000 Guineas.

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Speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday’s newspaper, the 34-year-old suggested it was a blessing in disguise that he was so moderate on horseback when it came to his own training career, looking back on the experience as an education that laid the foundations for his true calling.

"I was a terrible rider and I was never going to be a jockey, but it fired the imagination, and I think there are more and more people in racing who are kind of that way," he said.

"A footballer who plays to a very low level before becoming a manager is like a trainer riding to a low level – a lot of the very good jockeys don't end up being very good trainers because it's a very different mindset."

George Boughey: "A lot of the very good jockeys don't end up being very good trainers because it's a very different mindset"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

However, Boughey believes 20-year-old Loughnane, who rode Bow Echo at Newmarket and has become a huge asset to the trainer’s growing operation, could be one of those rare individuals who succeed in both disciplines.

"I think he's one top-class jockey who would make a great trainer,” he said, “because he's like an assistant to me already every time he comes in to ride.”

Before that, though, Boughey has no doubt that Loughnane will make his mark for a long time in the saddle.

He added: "He's got all the credentials to be a global world-class jockey: the racing brain and the art of communication with people, be they owners, trainers or the public – he has a way with them, and all that creates the full package, which is what you need these days."

Read more from George Boughey in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Racing Post+ Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday.

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