Rob Hornby
| Rob Hornby | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Flat racing jockey |
| Born | 28 May 1995 |
| Nationality | British |
| Significant horses | |
Robert Hornby (born 28 May 1995) is a British jockey who competes in flat racing. Riding as a freelance, his four Group 1 wins, as of 2023, have been for trainers Andrew Balding and Ralph Beckett.
Background
Hornby grew up on a farm in Chelmarsh, Shropshire, and attended Bridgnorth Endowed School, leaving at the age of sixteen to become an apprentice at the Kingsclere yard of Andrew Balding.[1]
Career
Hornby achieved his first Group race success on 25 August 2018 when he rode the Balding-trained Maid Up to victory in the Group 3 March Stakes at Goodwood.[2] His first Group 1 win was on Scope, trained by Ralph Beckett, in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in Paris on 24 October 2021. It was Hornby's first ride in France, and came after he had missed part of the season with a shoulder injury sustained during a fall at Wolverhampton in December 2020.[1]
In 2022 Hornby rode the Beckett-trained Westover in the Epsom Derby. It was his first ride in the Derby. He had already ridden Westover in three of his four races, winning a maiden stakes at Sandown in August 2021, coming second in a conditions stakes at Newbury in September 2021 and then winning the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial in April 2022. Westover started at odds of 25/1 in the Derby and finished in third place, having failed to get a clear run.[3] Westover went on to win the Irish Derby, but the ride had been given to the more experienced Irish jockey Colin Keane.[4] There was consolation for Hornby when he won two Group 1 races at the Newmarket July Festival, taking the Falmouth Stakes on the Beckett-trained Prosperous Voyage and the July Cup on the Balding-trained Alcohol Free.[5] He continued his winning streak on the July Course at Newmarket when landing the Grey Horse Handicap on Strike a month later.[6]
On 2 June, Hornby was given a seven-day suspension for failing to weigh in after riding Surrey Belle into third place in a handicap at Nottingham. Surrey Belle was disqualified and Hornby forfeited his riding fee. The suspension is scheduled from 16-22 June, meaning Hornby will miss Royal Ascot.[7]
Major wins
- Falmouth Stakes - (1) - Prosperous Voyage (2022)
- July Cup - (1) - Alcohol Free (2022)
France
- Prix Royal-Oak - (1) - Scope (2021)
- Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud - (1) - Westover (2023)
References
- ^ a b "Shropshire ace Rob Hornby on the fast track to success". Shropshire Star. 22 November 2021.
- ^ "Rob Hornby". Racing Post. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Westover". Racing Post. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ "'Disappointing but understandable' says Rob Hornby on losing Westover ride". Racing Post. 21 June 2022.
- ^ "July Cup: Alcohol Free gives jockey Rob Hornby second Group One win in two days". BBC Sport. 9 July 2022.
- ^ "Rob Hornby strikes in Grey Horse Handicap after road chaos denies him a winner". Racing Post. 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Rob Hornby handed seven-day suspension and set to miss all five days of Royal Ascot". Racing Post. 2 June 2024.