Teen sensation Billy Loughnane is heading to Australia to spend the winter riding in Sydney.
The young tyro, who has ridden an incredible 162 winners in 2024 after last season’s champion apprentice efforts, is expected to have his first rides on Friday week [Dec 6] on the Kensington all-weather track at Randwick before riding at Rosehill on Saturday.
According to the Australian punters.com.au website, ‘Billy the Kid’s rides will be booked by agent Shaun Flaherty, who handles Tom Marquand on ‘Aussie Tom’s regular trips down under.
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“It’s going to be a great experience,” Loughnane said, speaking to punters.com.au. “I’m really looking forward to it. I've done the last two winters here, so I’m keen for a bit of a change.
“Jockeys like Tom Marquand, Oisin Murphy, William Buick, James Doyle among others have spent time in Australia previously and they’ve all said riding there has made them better tactical riders so I’m forward to the chance to better my skills.”
Loughnane, 18, is the boy wonder of British racing, having landed the apprentice title in 2023 when he rode 130 winners. Making light of life without his claim, his current 2024 total of 162 victories (from 1,170 rides) is bettered only by champion jockey Oisin Murphy (215) and Rossa Ryan (191).
Chief among the highlights in a milestone season for Loughnane were a pair of winners at Royal Ascot, where he partnered 80-1 shot Rashabar to win the G2 Coventry Stakes – the meeting’s senior two-year-old contest – and the Sandringham Handicap on Soprano. He went on to win a G3 contest at Deauville on the latter filly, aboard whom he was twice placed in G1 company; he also rode Soprano at the Breeders’ Cup.
Loughnane can expect backing from leading Sydney-based stables such as Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald.
According to Flaherty, he will be joined by Marquand in February at the end of the latter’s current contract for the Japan Racing Association.
• Visit the punters.com.au website
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