Charlie Appleby hails Billy Loughnane after Listed win - and reveals surprise reason why the partnership started

It was Charlie Appleby's children who first encouraged the trainer to give Billy Loughnane a chance, and the partnership has continued to flourish, demonstrated by Silent Love's success in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Chalice Stakes.

The jockey's nickname Billy the Kid was what drew initial interest from the Appleby household. His first success for the trainer came at Wolverhampton in 2023 and he has subsequently added a further ten victories from just 18 rides for a whopping 61 per cent strike-rate.

Loughnane steered the 7-4 favourite – who got off the mark only in June – to a half-length win on her first try in Listed company, and Appleby said: "We knew she'd stay but I didn't want Billy to commit too far out as it's testing ground, but she saw the trip out really well. 

"We thought we'd test her as we've got a race in France in the back of our minds and she can go up to Group 3 level now.

"It's down to my children that Billy had his first ride for us – he got the nickname and they wanted Billy the Kid to have a ride. Then he won on his first mount and it goes from there. 

"He's a young rider with a lot of talent and he's only going one way. I'm delighted to put him on the horse but he's not the easiest to get hold of anymore."

Mor on the mark

Inis Mor was impressive on her debut for David Menuisier and Sean Levey in the 7f Pat Smullen Memorial Novice Stakes. The Galiway two-year-old was winning for the Quantum Leap Racing syndicate, who own her Group 1-winning stablemate Tamfana.

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