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Which trainers and jockeys have lit up racing since the resumption?

Kameko (Oisin Murphy) wins the Qipco 2000 GuineasNewmarket 6.6.20 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Oisin Murphy: champion jockey has made a fast start with ten winners in first eight daysCredit: Edward Whitaker

There have been eight full days of racing in Britain since the sport's enforced hiatus because of the Covid-19 lockdown, with two Classics, Derby and Oaks trials and the season's first two-year-old races all taking place in a hectic and unusual first week of the Flat season. We take a look at which trainers and jockeys have built momentum quickly and made a flying start to the delayed campaign.

Trainers

John Gosden

The champion trainer hit the ground running with 15 winners in the first week, including six on the four days of racing at Newmarket.

Gosden was prolific on the Rowley Mile and 13 of his 20 runners over the extended meeting finished in the first three.

John Gosden: sent out Celestran to take the opener at Yarmouth
John Gosden has had 15 winners since racing's returnCredit: Edward Whitaker

While Terebellum and Lord North starred in Group wins, Gosden's week was as much about exciting youngsters as it was the more established stars, with the likes of Palace Pier, Frankly Darling and King Leonidas showing enormous potential in comfortable wins.

Mark Johnston

It might be a different season but normal service has been resumed in Middleham, with Johnston having a typically busy and successful week.

He accumulated 14 winners from 82 runners in the opening eight days and the haul impressively included five juvenile winners.

Nayef Road's success in the rearranged Sagaro Stakes and the front-running win of Marie's Diamond at Newmarket ensured Johnston had some Pattern success to go with the quantity, too.

Andrew Balding

Things could not have gone much better for the Kingsclere trainer with Kameko providing a first 2,000 Guineas win.

Balding can now look forward to campaigning Kameko at the very highest level this season, while Berlin Tango's Classic Trial win at Kempton and the Listed success of Dashing Willoughby meant it was far from a one-horse week for the trainer, who is already on eight winners for the season.

Andrew Balding: won the Unibet Classic Trial Stakes at Kempton with Berlin Tango
Andrew Balding's team have made a fast start featuring Classic gloryCredit: Edward Whitaker

Honourable mentions

Archie Watson's team have also started fast with seven winners from just 21 runners including exciting two-year-old Mighty Gurkha, a seven-and-a-half length winner on debut at Lingfield.

Charlie Appleby did not have a winner until Thursday but six winners, including five at Newmarket, mark a pretty good start. Space Blues could be interesting for upcoming Group 1 sprints after a Listed win at Haydock, but Appleby's week will be remembered for the dominant display of Ghaiyyath in the Coronation Cup.

Sir Michael Stoute has also had six winners in the first eight days, with Roger Varian (five), William Haggas and Richard Hughes (both four) also well among the winners.

Jockeys

Oisin Murphy

No rider has been busier since racing's return than the champion jockey and the 24-year-old's hectic schedule has certainly paid dividends.

Murphy added a first British Classic to his already glittering CV when Kameko claimed 2,000 Guineas glory on Saturday.

However, the title favourite also sets the pace for this year's championship with ten winners from the first eight days.

Hollie Doyle: the 22-year-old is in the top ten on the jockeys' leaderboard
Hollie Doyle trails only Murphy at this early stage in the jockeys' championshipCredit: Edward Whitaker

Hollie Doyle

Doyle had a record breaking 2019 and has made a fast start to the 2020 turf season with nine winners from just 35 rides.

Although her partnership with Watson has aided the strong start, Doyle's nine winners have come from six trainers in her increasingly wide network.

Ben Curtis

No jockey has come close to matching Curtis' domestic total for the whole of 2020, which stands at 75 winners.

That figure includes eight winners since the start of the turf season and, while 50 rides is more than most, it also features two Group 3 wins at Newcastle on Dubai Station and Nayef Road.

NAYEF ROAD and Ben Curtis win the Group3 Sagaro Stakes for trainer Mark Johnston at Newcastle 6/6/20Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723
Nayef Road (near side) provided Curtis with one of two Group wins at Newcastle last weekCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Robert Havlin

Havlin has benefited greatly from Gosden's fine start to the season with six of his seven winners trained by his main ally.

Frankly Darling's impressive five-length win at Newcastle on the opening day set the tone for Havlin's week, which also included an Oaks Trial winner on Miss Yoda and victory in the rearranged Brigadier Gerard with Lord North.

Honourable mentions

Much like Havlin, Frankie Dettori has had a flying start thanks to the form of the John Gosden team, although the jockey also narrowly missed out on 2,000 Guineas glory on the Aidan O'Brien-trained Wichita.

Dettori's limited schedule has not stopped him quickly reaching six winners (from 19 rides), five of which came at Newmarket.

He was also a winner in the Godolphin blue for the first time since October 2012 when partnering Terebellum to an easy win in the Dahlia Stakes.

Three-time champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa has also had six winners since racing's return, with Andrea Atzeni, David Probert, William Buick and Richard Kingscote well among the winners too.


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Matt ButlerDeputy news editor

Published on 9 June 2020inNews

Last updated 15:25, 9 June 2020

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