Zak Wheatley(3)

The highlight of that journey so far came on 22 August 2025 at York, where he won a Class 1 race — one of the top races in Britain. York is one of the most prestigious venues in the country, a track that attracts the best horses and the sharpest fields, and winning at the top level there is not something that gets forgotten in a hurry. For a young jockey still carrying a claiming allowance, it is exactly the kind of moment that gets you noticed.

His most reliable working relationship is with trainer Declan Carroll, and the numbers there are genuinely encouraging. Sixteen wins from 154 rides together works out to roughly 1 in every 10 — a win rate of 10%, which is meaningfully better than his overall season average. When a jockey and trainer find a rhythm like that, it usually means real trust on both sides: Carroll keeps putting Wheatley on horses, and Wheatley keeps delivering results.

This season, though, has been a little harder going. He has ridden 235 times and won 19 of those races — roughly 1 in every 12, or 8%. That is down from around 1 in 10 last year, and while a dip of that size is not dramatic, it is the kind of thing a young jockey will be aware of. More opportunities tend to follow strong seasons, so maintaining momentum matters. Still, 19 winners from 235 rides is a workload that shows trainers are trusting him with plenty of chances, and a Class 1 winner on the board gives this season a headline that the numbers alone do not quite capture. Four years in, Wheatley is still building — but he is building in the right direction.