Danny Gilligan

The more interesting part is what he has done at the top end. Three Class 1 wins — the highest tier of racing in Britain — is a meaningful mark for a jockey still in the early stages of his career. Those wins have come at Ascot, Wetherby, and Cheltenham: three of the most watched, most competitive venues in the sport. His most recent, at Ascot in November 2025, is the kind of result that shifts how people in racing think about you. Cheltenham in particular carries a weight that most jockeys never get to feel — it is the sort of place where reputations are made in an afternoon.

His partnership with Gordon Elliott, one of the most powerful training operations around, has been the engine behind much of his success. From 176 races together they have produced 24 wins — a win rate of 14%, or roughly 1 in every 7 rides. When a trainer of Elliott's standing keeps putting a jockey up, it means something. It means trust, and it means results.

Then there is Wodhooh. Three wins from just four races together is a remarkable strike — 75%, or three-quarters of the time they have lined up, they have crossed the line first. That sort of chemistry between a horse and rider is rare, and it is the kind of partnership that fans of both will be watching closely whenever the two appear together.

Still only four years in, Gilligan has already demonstrated he can handle fast, dry ground and wet, testing conditions alike, can deliver on the biggest stages, and has the backing of a top yard. The foundations are there. The next question is simply how high he builds on them.