As ever, British Champions Day at Ascot served as a celebration of another memorable Flat campaign. On the track, the action ranged from the sublime – Calandagan’s wonderful display in the Champion Stakes – to the ridiculous, with Powerful Glory defying odds of 200/1 in the British Champion Sprint Stakes.
Away from the equine athletes, Champions Day also honoured a selection of the sport’s human stars, with awards dished out for the season’s leading jockey, apprentice jockey, and owner.
Oisin on Top Once Again
This year began in ignominious fashion for Oisin Murphy. Back in April, the 30-year-old rider was found guilty of a drink-driving offence, which saw his car veer off the road and collide with a tree. Banned from the driver’s seat as a result of that incident, the Irishman set about making the most of his time in the saddle.
Flying out of the traps with 29 winners in May, Murphy built up an early advantage and never looked back. Racking up 20+ winners every month between May and September, his final tally of 143 saw him finish 35 winners clear of runner-up Billy Loughnane. Highlights of another stellar season include five wins at Royal Ascot and Group 1 victories in the Lockinge Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes, and City of York Stakes.
Flat Jockeys Championship 2025 Final Standings
| Position | Jockey | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Oisin Murphy | 143 |
| 2nd | Billy Loughnane | 108 |
| 3rd | Rossa Ryan | 96 |
| 4th | Cieren Fallon | 91 |
| 5th | Tom Marquand | 89 |
Murphy previously won the title in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024, and now becomes the first five-time winner since Kieran Fallon, who won the fifth of his six championships in 2002. When reflecting on his achievement, Murphy stated:
“I didn’t ever envisage five championships. I was hopeful I might get one. I remember finishing second to Silvestre de Sousa and hoping I could build on that year and maybe be there or thereabouts, as it was a huge ambition of mine.”
Leavy Goes One Better
Having lost out in heartbreaking fashion to Sean Bowen in 2024, Joe Leavy bounced back to claim the Champion Apprentice title in 2025. Twelve months ago, Leavy took the battle to the final day, only to lose out by a single winner.
The race for the title was once again tight, but Joe’s consistency – headlined by 10 winners in August – won the day. Despite registering only one winner in October, Leavy’s final tally of 41 saw him finish four clear of runner-up Jack Doughty.
Apprentice Flat Jockeys Championship 2025 Final Standings
| Position | Jockey | Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Joe Leavy | 41 |
| 2nd | Jack Doughty | 37 |
| 3rd | Alec Voikhansky | 29 |
| 4th | Jack Callan | 28 |
| 5th | Warren Fentiman | 26 |
Joe’s success provided cause for celebration at the yard of his main employer, Richard Hannon, where his mother serves as secretary and his father, former trainer Barry Leavy, is head lad.
History suggests that Joe Leavy will be a name to remember in the coming years. Recent winners of the Champion Apprentice title include William Buick, Ryan Moore, Tom Marquand, and 2025 Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy.
Godolphin Grab Gold in Owners Championship
Godolphin dominated the race for the owners’ title, claiming top spot for a 17th time. Their prize money haul of £7,267,551 was more than £4 million clear of runners-up Juddmonte Stud. Wathnan Racing took third, with three of the next five positions occupied by various Coolmore combinations.
Flat Owners Championship 2025 Final Standings
| Position | Jockey | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Godolphin | £7.3m |
| 2nd | Juddmonte | £3.1m |
| 3rd | Wathnan Racing | £2.8m |
| 4th | Smith, Magnier & Tabor | £2.5m |
| 5th | Tabor, Smith & Magnier | £1.9m |
Although Ombudsman missed out in the Champion Stakes, Trawlerman ensured Godolphin ended the season in style with a typically tenacious success in the Long Distance Cup. Highlights in a stellar campaign for the Maktoum family operation included a 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas double, two Group 1s at Royal Ascot, and Ombudsman’s brilliant win in the Juddmonte International.
O’Brien Has One Hand on Trainer’s Trophy
For championship purposes, the jockey, apprentice jockey, and owners’ seasons ran from 3rd May to 18th October. However, the trainer’s championship began on 1 January 2025 and ends on 31st December 2025. As such, we won’t officially know the identity of the 2025 Champion until the end of the year.
However, Aidan O’Brien remains the overwhelming favourite to claim the title for an eighth time. At the end of the British Champions Day card, O’Brien’s prize money total of £7,940,719 placed him over £800,000 clear of Andrew Balding in second and just under £1 million ahead of John and Thady Gosden in third.
Flat Trainers Championship 2025 Current Standings
| Position | Trainer | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Aidan O’Brien | £7.9m |
| 2nd | Andrew Balding | £7.1m |
| 3rd | John & Thady Gosden | £7.0m |
| 4th | Charlie Appleby | £4.2m |
| 5th | William Haggas | £3.9m |
While not yet official, Balding or Gosden would need a phenomenal finish – and a quiet finale from O’Brien – to have any chance of erasing the deficit. An eighth title would cap a fine season for O’Brien, who has added 21 Group 1 wins to his record-breaking career haul.
