Thursday, February 7, 2019 – Davy Russell bagged his first Holland Cooper Leading Jockey Award at The Festival™ presented by Magners in 2018.
The experienced Irish rider, who partnered his first winner at The Festival in 2006, narrowly edged out fellow Irish jockey Jack Kennedy. Both riders achieved four winners over the four days last year, with Russell taking the honours thanks to a second.Russell’s victories in 2018 included a stunning 377/1 treble on St Patrick’s Thursday. His first winner of the week came in the G1 RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase on Presenting Percy, who is being aimed at the G1 Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 15. His tally at The Festival is now 22 and he moves into clear sixth place in the post-1945 list. It was truly a season to savour for Russell as he went on to win the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree the following month on Tiger Roll.
Previous winners of the Holland Cooper Leading Jockey Award since 200 are listed below
2018
Davy Russell (4)
2017
Ruby Walsh (4)
2016
Ruby Walsh (7)
2015
Ruby Walsh (4)
2014
Ruby Walsh (3)
2013
Ruby Walsh (4)
2012
Barry Geraghty (5)
2011
Ruby Walsh (5)
2010
Ruby Walsh (3)
2009
Ruby Walsh (7)
2008
Ruby Walsh (3)
2007
Robert Thornton (4)
2006
Ruby Walsh (3)
2005
Graham Lee (3)
2004
Ruby Walsh (3)
2003
Barry Geraghty (5)
2002
Richard Johnson (2)
2001
cancelled – foot & mouth
2000
Mick Fitzgerald (4)
LEADING CURRENT JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL
Ruby Walsh 58
Barry Geraghty 36
Richard Johnson 23
Davy Russell 22
Tom Scudamore 10
Bryan Cooper 8
Paul Townend 8
Mr Jamie Codd 7
Nico de Boinville 7
Sam Twiston-Davies 7
Paddy Brennan 6
Noel Fehily 6
Jack Kennedy 5
Andrew Lynch 4
Mr Patrick Mullins 4
Denis O’Regan 4
Robbie Power 4
Mr Sam Waley-Cohen 4
TOP JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL SINCE 1945
Ruby Walsh 58
Barry Geraghty 36
Sir A P McCoy 31
Pat Taaffe 25
Richard Johnson 23
Davy Russell 22
Richard Dunwoody 18
Charlie Swan 17
Fred Winter 17
Robert Thornton 16
Paul Carberry 14
Mick Fitzgerald 14
Peter Scudamore 13
Most successful jockeys in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup
4
Pat Taaffe (1964, 1965 & 1966 Arkle, 1968 Fort Leney)
3
Aubrey Brabazon (1948, 1949 & 1950 Cottage Rake)
Tommy Carberry (1970 & 1971 L’Escargot, 1975 Ten Up)
Jim Culloty (2002, 2003 & 2004 Best Mate)
Dick Rees (1924 Red Splash, 1928 Patron Saint, 1929 Easter Hero)
Most successful jockeys in the Unibet Champion Hurdle
4
Tim Molony (1951 Hatton’s Grace, 1952, 1953 & 1954 Sir Ken)
Ruby Walsh (2011 & 2013 Hurricane Fly, 2015 Faugheen, 2016 Annie Power)
3
Sir A P McCoy (1997 Make A Stand, 2006 Brave Inca, 2010 Binocular)
Steve Smith Eccles (1985, 1986 & 1987 See You Then)
Barry Geraghty (2009 Punjabi, 2014 Jezki, 2018 Buveur D’Air)
Charlie Swan (1998, 1999 & 2000 Istabraq)
Ron Smyth (1941 Seneca, 1942 Forestation, 1948 National Spirit)
Jimmy Uttley (1968, 1969 & 1970 Persian War)
Fred Winter (1955 Clair Soleil, 1959 Fare Time, 1961 Eborneezer)
Most successful jockeys in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase
5
Barry Geraghty (2003 & 2005 Moscow Flyer, 2010 Big Zeb, 2012 Finian’s Rainbow, 2013 Sprinter Sacre)
Pat Taaffe (1960 & 1961 Fortria, 1964 Ben Stack, 1966 Flyingbolt, 1970 Straight Fort)
3
Robert Earnshaw ( 1983, 1984 & 1985 Badsworth Boy )
Ruby Walsh (2004 Azertyuiop, 2008 & 2009 Master Minded)
Most successful jockeys in the Ryanair Chase
(Festival Trophy)
4 Ruby Walsh (2005 Thisthatandtother, 2007 Taranis, 2016 Vautour, 2017 Un De Sceaux)
3 Sir A P McCoy (2010 & 2011 Albertas Run, 2015 Uxizandre)
Most successful jockeys in the Sun Racing Stayers’ Hurdle
5 Ruby Walsh (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Big Buck’s, 2017 Nichols Canyon)
2
Tommy Carberry (1975 Brown Lad, 1977 Town Ship)
Tommy Carmody (1987 & 1988 Galmoy)
Thierry Doumen (2002 & 2003 Baracouda)
Barry Geraghty (2004 Iris’s Gift, 2014 More Of That)
Jamie Osborne (1992 Nomadic Way, 1997 Karshi)
Mark Perrett (1991 King’s Curate, 1994 Balasani)
Stuart Shilston (1982 & 1986 Crimson Embers)
Charlie Swan (1990 Tapper John, 1993 Shuil Ar Aghaidh)
