Who is leading the Flat jockeys' championship in Britain after the first month? The top five features a rider not quoted in the betting

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One month has passed since the beginning of the British Flat jockeys' championship on 2,000 Guineas day at Newmarket, and there have been some fast starts.

We take a look at the top five who are setting the early pace in a battle that will conclude on British Champions Day in October.

5. Billy Loughnane

Billy Loughnane: chasing a first titleCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Wins to rides: 20-116
Strike-rate: 17 per cent
Best championship odds: 2-1 (bet365)

The 20-year-old jockey, who broke the 21st century record for the most Flat winners in Britain in a calendar year in 2025, has his sights set on a first championship after finishing second to Oisin Murphy last year. He is a 2-1 chance with the bookmakers to go one better and claim the title in 2026.

The undoubted highlight of the first month of the championship race came on the opening day when Loughnane enjoyed his first Classic success aboard Bow Echo in the 2,000 Guineas.

He will no doubt be looking forward to partnering the colt again in a red-hot running of the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot this month, while he finished last month in particularly good form, racking up nine winners from May 25 onwards. He might just be hitting his stride.

4. Saffie Osborne

Wins to rides: 20-99
Strike-rate: 20 per cent
Best championship odds: not quoted in markets

Saffie Osborne: does not feature in the title bettingCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Any bettors who are ardent supporters of Osborne's talent in the saddle will have been in clover last month. Blindly backing her 96 mounts would have yielded £68.32 to a £1 level stake.

It was the 24-year-old's best month of her career and has featured success in front of the ITV cameras on the last two Saturdays at Goodwood and Carlisle.

What is also noticeable is the spread of trainers using Osborne's services. In the last fortnight of the month alone, she rode for 31 different trainers including Owen Burrows, Clive Cox, Gordon Elliott, Richard Hughes and Charlie Johnston, while Ralph Beckett and Nicky Henderson also used her during May.

3. Rossa Ryan

Wins to rides: 23-133
Strike-rate: 17 per cent
Best championship odds: 12-1 (William Hill)

Rossa Ryan: made a positive start to the campaignCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Ryan started the season in fine form, his 21 winners in May represented his best monthly tally since September 2024, and he is a best priced 12-1 for this year's championship. 

Ryan has also enjoyed two Group 3 successes this season, guiding Raaheeb to victory in the Sandown Classic Trial in April for trainer Owen Burrows before teaming up with the Clive Cox-trained Coppull to land the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot. 

However, neither has counted towards his jockeys' championship count as they came before that competition got under way.

2. Cieren Fallon

Wins to rides: 23-82
Strike-rate: 28 per cent
Best championship odds: 33-1 (William Hill)

Cieren Fallon: enjoyed his best month in MayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The 26-year-old is another jockey on this list who recorded his most successful month when riding 21 winners in May. He felt he "went a little bit under the radar last year" but has set himself the target of riding 200 winners this year.

Lake Forest provided the early highlight, winning the Listed Spring Trophy at Haydock for Fallon's crucial supporter William Haggas.

Fallon, who won back-to-back champion apprentice titles in 2019 and 2020, is a best priced 33-1 chance for the jockeys' championship. 

1. Oisin Murphy

Wins to rides: 25-125
Strike-rate: 20 per cent
Best championship odds: 4-7 (bet365)

Oisin Murphy: leads the early standingsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Five-time champion Murphy tops the early standings and is the market leader to retain his title.

The 30-year-old expected Loughnane, in particular, to be a big threat to his dominance, but he has still edged the early skirmishes. 

See The Fire's Middleton Stakes win was the domestic highlight at York's Dante meeting, but Murphy has been combining quantity with quality, particularly abroad, and won the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp on the George Scott-trained Caballo De Mar.

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