Tony Carroll, Billy Loughnane and Jack Doughty claimed the All-Weather Champion Trainer, All-Weather Champion Jockey and All-Weather Champion Apprentice titles for the first time following the conclusion of the season on Good Friday, April 18.
Having missed out to Mick Appleby by a single winner 12 months ago, Carroll took the All-Weather Champion Trainer prize following a campaign that yielded 57 winners, 11 clear of his nearest rival James Owen.
Carroll said: “For me personally, it is a great achievement and I am very proud of it. A big thank you to the team at home – Titch, Mary, and everybody else involved. They are people that never go racing and are never seen, but they are the backbone behind it all. I just do as I am told, they tell me to go out of the gate, turn left and off I go. They do all the work really, and I’m just there making sure everything is as it should be.
“The horses have been fantastic all winter. They can get coughs or colds, but we have had such a lovely time of it. The horses have been really healthy, right the way through, and the owners have been fantastic. ARC have put a great thing on and we have all really enjoyed it.
“It is so competitive and everybody is trying to win these bonuses. You have to really thank the horses because you are asking them to do things that are tough. You are trying to win three races in a month and then trying to do it again.
“When you win, it is fantastic. You feel you will go on forever if you keep winning and we have enjoyed it. Jack Doughty has been fantastic for the yard and it’s great for us both to win together. He is only 17 but has been with me for a while, so it’s marvellous.
“Jack is a very talented boy, who knows what he wants and where he is going. He listens, he learns and he can ride, so we are very, very pleased with him. He has been a pleasure to have in the yard, all the way through from day one, and you could always see that he was just a bit different from the rest.
“We have had 57 winners on the all-weather this season, but I think Init Together is the only one that has won four. The rest has been made up by individual horses, so it’s a great performance from them. We have had a really, really good time of it and all the thanks goes to the team for making it all work.”
Loughnane, All-Weather Champion Apprentice for the past two years, took the All-Weather Champion Jockey title despite spending a significant amount of the season in Australia. A final day victory on Vocal Legend saw the jockey end the campaign on 75 wins, four ahead of Hector Crouch.
Loughnane said: “I am chuffed. It has been a good winter and a long hard battle with Hector for the past few months, who’s obviously a great jockey, and it’s been a big last push to get it over the line.
“It was good being able to get away for a little bit of time in Australia as well, but to come back and get a lot of support from numerous different trainers who’ve helped me and my agent Tony Hind, who is a super-agent and doing a great job.
“The all-weather has a close place to my heart. Obviously, dad runs the majority of his horses on the all-weather and I’ve grown up around it. I started on the all-weather and was all-weather champion apprentice for two years, so to be able to win this now is great.
“A lot of trainers have supported me and I’m very lucky they’ve kept supporting me for my three years riding.
“Dad’s got a big team and George Boughey is my main boss now, but there are a lot of trainers, the Kublers and Ian Williams to name just two, who have given me a lot of support so it’s great.”
Doughty, who is attached to Carroll’s stables in Worcestershire, was crowned All-Weather Champion Apprentice following a season that yielded 32 wins, five ahead of nearest rival Sean D Bowen. The 17-year-old looked set to be crowned champion turf apprentice last year, only for a 20-day whip ban to scupper his chances.
Doughty said: “It has been a long winter, but it is great to finally get the job done. I messed up last year getting a whip ban, so I spoke to my agent and Mr Carroll to decide whether I go abroad or stay here, and I decided to stay here.
“I had quite a few winners early on in the season, which put me clear, and from then on we decided to go for it. In the last couple of weeks, I rode a few winners and that gave me a nice lead on Sean Bowen. Sean had a great winter as well and it was nice to go in to the final day five clear of him.
“The days are long during the winter, as you have early mornings and then you are getting back late. It is the same for the staff, who are taking the horses to the races, and it is nice Mr Carroll was able to win the trainers’ title for them.
“My mum and dad have helped me out so much this year, driving me everywhere. I could not have done it without them. They have put so much effort in throughout my career and it is great to have them here to share the moment with me.
“I think it was the right decision to stay here rather than going abroad. I have 14 winners left on my claim now and hopefully the momentum will take me through the summer.”
Godolphin took the All-Weather Champion Owner accolade for an 11th consecutive time, with the royal blue silks recording 15 wins over the season, two more than Rabbah Racing.
