All-Weather Championships special: which trainers, jockeys and horses have been setting the pace this winter?

As the wet and snowy weather continues to disrupt the British jump racing calendar, now seems an appropriate time to take stock of the All-Weather Championships as meetings on a synthetic surface are likely to be the main offering this week. 

The All-Weather Championships began on October 22, 2024 and culminate with finals day at Newcastle on Good Friday, April 18. The All-Weather Vase will also be staged at Lingfield on the same day when the champion trainer, jockey and apprentice will be crowned.

January is an important month for the championships as winners of trial races at Newcastle’s meeting on Friday week will gain free entry for finals day, the richest all-weather raceday in Europe with more than £1 million in prize-money on offer.

Below we assess the early pacesetters who have been making waves on the all-weather this winter (winner totals do not include racing at Wolverhampton on Monday night).

Trainers

Tony Carroll achieved a long-held ambition when reaching a century of winners in a calendar year in Britain last month and could break further ground if maintaining his position at the top of the All-Weather Championships trainers’ standings.

Of Carroll’s 106 winners in 2024, 54 came on the all-weather, and the Worcestershire-based trainer is on the 21-winner mark this winter.

Tony Carroll: leads the all-weather trainers' championship standingsCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Mick Appleby is the usual recipient of the £10,000 cheque from Arena Racing Company for being top trainer, but he is 13 winners behind Carroll as he bids for his ninth all-weather title. It would be foolish to write off the trainer, who has been champion for the last seven years, and it is worth noting what Appleby said in the aftermath of his title win in 2023.   

“At Christmas I thought we had no chance,” the trainer said. “We were 15 behind George Boughey and I felt we'd be lucky to win it, but then thankfully we had 20 winners in January. I keep saying, it gets tougher every year."

January is clearly an important month for Appleby, who could face serious opposition from James Owen and Charlie Johnston, currently tied for second with 18 winners.

Owen, a five-time champion Arabian trainer, has gained a reputation for shrewd purchases and improving horses from other yards. His rapidly expanding Newmarket operation enjoyed Group 2 turf success with Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Royal Lodge and a significant jumps winner in Burdett Road in the Greatwood Hurdle in November. 

An all-weather trainers’ title in only his second full season would be some coup for Owen, whereas Johnston is aiming to emulate his father Mark, who was the inaugural recipient of this prize in 2014 and repeated the feat in 2017.

Jockeys

A different jockey has been leading all-weather rider for each of the last seven years and Hector Crouch could follow in the footsteps of Ben Curtis, Richard Kingscote, David Probert, Daniel Muscutt and Rossa Ryan by landing his first title if building on his fast start.

Crouch enjoyed the best season of his career last year, riding a first Classic and Group 1 winner on You Got To Me in the Irish Oaks before reaching a century of winners in Britain for the first time.

After a double at Southwell helped Crouch bring his ton up on December 29, the 28-year-old said: "I normally ride in Bahrain or Dubai a little, though I'm enjoying the all-weather at the moment. We'll see what opportunities there are."

Hector Crouch: leads the all-weather jockeys' championship standingsCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Crouch’s winter plans may involve being a little closer to home than usual as his 33 winners puts him four clear of Luke Morris in the standings.

The Arc-winning rider will be a formidable opponent as he is the winningmost currently active rider on the all-weather, and a fourth championship would put Morris one clear of Adam Kirby, who has also been champion on three occasions.

Billy Loughnane, a place behind Jack Mitchell in the standings in fourth, was champion all-weather apprentice in 2024, but his chances of following up with another title are slim as he is riding in Australia this winter.

Apprentices

Sean Dylan Bowen has a live chance of emulating Billy Loughnane by being crowned both champion apprentice of the turf and all-weather champion.

Bowen had to fend off the challenge of Joe Leavy on the turf, finishing two winners clear of that rival, and he faces similarly stiff competition from Jack Doughty.

Champion apprentice Sean Dylan BowenCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Bowen and Doughty are locked together on 16 winners, but the latter is based with Tony Carroll and given his boss is leading the all-weather trainer standings, he can expect a steady flow of winners.

Horses

Havana Sky is the winningmost horse in the championships after completing a five-timer in November/December.

The four-year-old’s winning run came to an end at Lingfield last Friday and he could soon be joined at the top of the standings by Angel Of Antrim, whose fourth successive victory last Saturday has helped Jack Morland get off to a flying start to his training career.

Jack Morland: Angel Of Antrim has been a flagbearer for the fledgling trainer

Morland spent five years assisting Havana Sky’s trainer, Ed Dunlop, before setting up on his own in November, and it will be fascinating to see if his progressive Dark Angel gelding can usurp his former boss’s representative.

Angel Of Antrim is entered at Newcastle and Wolverhampton on Saturday.

This week

Before Monday's meeting at Wolverhampton, Crouch had ridden seven winners from 20 all-weather rides for Owen and the pair team up with Forever Proud on Tuesday and potentially Khangai, Overnight Oats and Come On John at Lingfield on Thursday.

Overnight Oats has contributed three victories to Crouch's all-weather total but has been beaten twice since completing a four-timer at Wolverhampton last month.

Godolphin have been champion all-weather owners for ten consecutive seasons and they are represented by Treasure Fleet at Wolverhampton (5.30) on Tuesday,  Beccali – who will be James Doyle's first mount of the year in Britain – at Kempton (7.30) on Wednesday and potentially Tribal Act at Lingfield (12.45) on Friday.

Tortured Soul is one to keep to keep an eye on for the Carroll-Doughty combination. The five-year-old is entered at Lingfield on Friday and Sunday and is unpenalised for his latest success in an apprentice handicap under Doughty at the end of December. The sole occasion he was ridden by Doughty at Lingfield resulted in a victory over the same trip as Friday's 1m4f handicap.

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