4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dettori says Irish rider 'most talented' young jockey: 'A natural talent'
Frankie Dettori has named Billy Loughnane as "the most talented" of the young jockeys coming through at the moment.
The Irish youngster, 19, who is based in Britain, has been working his way up the ranks over the past few years, having transitioned to professional flat racing at 16 following a number of years pony racing.
He was crowned British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 2023, having ridden over 100 winners in his first year. He also secured the British All-Weather Champion Apprentice titles in both the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy described him as 'the most talented rider I have ever seen at his age', and Dettori has also praised the youngster.
The Stake ambassador said: "Obviously Oisin Murphy, William Buick and James Doyle are already established, as is Ryan Moore. I would say the youngest one is Billy Loughnane. He's a charming guy. He listens. He's willing to learn. Horses run for him.
"For a young jockey with that little experience, he seems very mature already. He's quite tall, so he's going to work at his weight more than anybody else, but I think he's a natural talent. To me, out of the young guys, he's the most talented and has a bright future."
He added: "When I started, obviously it was Pat Eddery, Steve Cauthen and Willie Carson as the dominant people when I grew up. Pat came along and then I came along and now there's Oisin Murphy and William Buick.
"There's always going to be someone that people can relate to. I did my section of fame and now I can let somebody else take over. Like I said, it'll always be someone because racing is popular and will always be popular."
