Teenage sensation Billy Loughnane has set his sights on 200 winners for the year following a maiden Group 1 victory on Sunday.
The 19-year-old, son of trainer Mark Loughnane, was champion apprentice in Britain in 2023 and All-Weather Champion Jockey in 24/25 and has become a household name, with Rashabar’s 80/1 triumph in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer included among his big-race haul.
Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby has clearly been an admirer of Loughnane’s talents and he has enjoyed eight winners from just a dozen rides for the Newmarket man domestically so far this year.
Appleby was thrilled to be able to give Loughnane the chance of a first taste of Group 1 glory on stable star Rebel’s Romance in Sunday’s Westminster 135th Grosser Preis von Berlin and the rider took the opportunity, scoring by three-quarters of a length on the 1/5 favourite.
Speaking on Monday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast, the jockey said of Rebel’s Romance: “He’s an absolute superstar, I was very lucky to have the opportunity to partner him – a very special moment. I went and sat on him on Tuesday morning, spoke to Charlie and the rest is history.
“He’s a very big horse, he’s got a lot of presence. Even seeing him walk around the paddock yesterday, he just looked a class above the rest of them. He’s so straightforward now, yesterday was like clockwork – he broke nicely, found a beautiful rhythm and was very tough and gutsy when he needed to be.” Reflecting on the elation of claiming a first top-flight success, Loughnane said: “It was super, the feeling is second to none. Going through the line, there was such a buzz and there was a good crowd of people, they all got behind it.
“Obviously, I’ve been riding a little bit more for Charlie in the last couple of weeks and have been going in, riding out last week a couple of times. I’ve very thankful to him for getting the opportunity so hopefully I can just pick up a few of the spares and keep chipping away.”
Looking at the bigger picture, Loughnane sits second in the 2025 Flat Jockeys’ Championship, 33 winners behind title-holder Oisin Murphy, but two ahead of Appleby’s principal stable jockey, William Buick. The ambitious Loughnane has his sights on an end-of-year target.
He said: “I want to try and get to 200 winners if possible, I’m a little bit behind schedule at the minute but that’ll be my aim towards the end of the year. I’ve had that feeling that I had yesterday, and I want it again, so hopefully I will try and get a couple more big winners.
“I love every minute of it (busy riding schedule), I wouldn’t change it for the world. To get opportunities like I had yesterday makes it all worth it.”
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