Last season’s British champion apprentice Billy Loughnane reached a century of domestic winners for the second year in a row when winning on Brasil Power at Kempton on Wednesday evening.
The Racing Post reports that Loughnane waited patiently as Taryn Langley attempted to make all on Zero Carbon in the 1400m handicap before that front-runner eventually faded into sixth as Brasil Power surged up the inside to record his third course-and-distance success.
Riding high! Billy Loughane is in great form (Pic – Ascot Racecourse)
Fittingly, the 100-30 winner is trained by George Boughey, who provided Loughnane with the mount he rode out his claim on, Lambert, at this track last September.
Loughnane began 2024 well with a Listed victory on Boughey’s Chic Colombine at Saint-Cloud in March before further international success the following month in a Cologne Group 3 on Queues Likely.
In June, the 18-year-old rode his first Royal Ascot winner on 80-1 shot Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes and backed up that Group 2 winner with victory on the Boughey-trained Soprano in the Sandringham Stakes.
After bringing his ton-up for the campaign without the benefit of a claim, Loughnane told Racing TV: “As soon as I set off at the start of the year I said I wanted to get 100 winners on my first season out of the claim. I thought it’d be difficult to achieve those sorts of numbers but I’ve done it earlier than I had last year.”
Loughnane credits his father and trainer Mark and mother Clare as well as the support of Boughey for helping him emulate Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan by riding 100 domestic winners this term.
“Mum does an awful lot for me, I get up, ride horses and she pretty much sorts everything else,” said Loughnane. “George has been massive this year along with my jockey coaches and agents. It’s been a long process but it’s going great.”
Loughnane made a statement of intent when taken on by agent Tony Hind last month, with his clients including champion jockeys Ryan Moore, William Buick, Jim Crowley and Derby-winning rider Richard Kingscote.
Hind will be booking the teenager’s rides as he aims to eclipse the 130 winners he achieved in Britain last term.
“I’m going to try and push for 150 now,” said Loughnane. “I’ll have done 250 winners within two years if I can do it before October 24, that’s when I had my first ride two years ago. I’m on 236 now so we’ll be pushing for that and then 150 for the year.”
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