David Probert

Last updated

David Probert
David Probert 2009.jpg
David Probert at Warwick Racecourse, 2009
OccupationJockey
Born1988 (age 3536)
Bargoed, Wales
Racing awards
British flat racing Champion Apprentice (2008)

David Probert (born 1988) is a Welsh jockey who was joint British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 2008.

Contents

Background

Probert was born in Bargoed, Wales, attended Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni Welsh language school, and grew up competing in pony racing and Gymkhana in and around Wales. He attended the British Racing School in Newmarket.

Riding career

Since leaving the school, he has ridden for Andrew Balding, and has had Ian Balding as a mentor, although his first winner was Mountain Pass for John Lewis Llewellyn in 2007. In 2008, he won the British flat racing Champion Apprentice title jointly with William Buick.

In 2012, he won the Investec Derby Trial on Goldoni. [1] That same year, he won his first group race, the Group 2 Oettingen-Rennen on what he called "the best horse I've ever ridden", [2] Highland Knight. The following year, he picked up the Group 3 Darley Stakes on the same horse. [3]

June 2014 brought a number of milestones. He became the youngest Welshman to ride in the Derby, finishing eleventh on Impulsive Moment. [4] [5] He got his first Royal Ascot winner came in the Britannia Stakes on the Balding-trained Born in Bombay [1] Later that month, on 28 June, he recorded his first four-timer at Brighton, with combined odds of 8031/1 - Assertive Agent for Tony Carroll in the first, Curious Fox for Anthony Carson in the 2nd, Fashion Parade for Charlie Hills in the 3rd, Noverre to Go for Ron Harris in the 4th. [6] Later in the year, he won the Oettingen-Rennen again for Balding on Here Comes When [7]

In 2015, he won the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial on Master Apprentice [8] and the Doonside Cup on Scottish.

Then in 2016, he won the Stewards Cup at Goodwood, three year old filly Dancing Star, only the second filly to do so since Lochsong, a horse to which she was related. [9]

Related Research Articles

Ian Balding is a retired British horse trainer. He is the son of the polo player and racehorse trainer Gerald Matthews Balding and the younger brother of trainer Toby Balding. Ian Balding was born in the US, but his family returned to the UK in 1945. He was educated at Marlborough College and Millfield school in Somerset. He went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1959 to read Rural Estate Management, where he played Rugby for the university team, gaining his Blue in 1961 at full back. He started training in 1964. Kingsclere became his home at the age of 26 and it is here that earned his reputation as an internationally respected trainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Middleton (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Bay Middleton was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse whose victories included two British Classic Races. He was twice the Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland.

Joseph Mercer, OBE was an English thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active from 1947 to 1985, riding 2,810 winners in Britain. Mercer's nickname was "Smokin' Joe.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Queally</span> Irish jockey

Tom Queally is an Irish flat racing jockey based in Britain. He rode Frankel in his unbeaten 14-race career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Buick</span> Norwegian-born flat jockey

William Buick is a Norwegian-British flat jockey. He shared the champion apprentice jockey title in 2008 with David Probert and won the Lester Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year in 2007 and 2008. From 2010 to 2014 he was stable jockey to John Gosden. In 2015 he signed with Godolphin. Buick won his first Group1 race in Canada in 2010 and since then has won Group 1 races in England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. He has won four British Classic Races: the St Leger in 2010, 2011 and 2021 and the Derby in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubawi</span> Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Dubawi is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Favonius (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Favonius (1868–1877) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1871 to 1873, he ran ten times and won five races. In June 1871 he won The Derby on his second racecourse appearance. He went on to prove himself a top class stayer, winning the Goodwood Cup in 1872. Favonius was regarded by contemporary observers as one of the best English-trained horses of his era. At the end of the 1873 season he was retired to stud but had little chance to make an impact as a stallion before his death four years later. Favonius’s Derby win was one of the highlights of what became known as “The Baron’s Year”, in which his owner, Baron Meyer de Rothschild won four of the five British Classic Races.

Election was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1807 Epsom Derby. His breeder, Lord Egremont, won the Derby for the fourth time with Election. Election raced until he was seven years old and was bought by the Prince Regent after his racing career. He was a successful sire for the Prince's Hampton Court Stud, producing the 1821 Derby winner Gustavus, the 1817 2,000 Guineas Stakes winner Manfred and 1825 1,000 Guineas Stakes winner Tontine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pussy (horse)</span> British Thoroughbred racehorse

Pussy was a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1834 Epsom Oaks. In a racing career that lasted from 1833 until 1837, Pussy started 25 times winning eight races. She initially raced under Thomas Cosby's name and was sold in 1835 to Lord Bentinck but raced under the Duke of Richmond's name. Pussy was retired to Bentinck's stud in 1837 but did not produce any noteworthy offspring. She was sold at auction in 1846, and her last foal was born in 1848.

Sixties Icon, is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. In a career which lasted from April 2006 until November 2008, he ran seventeen times and won eight races. He recorded his most important victory when winning the Classic St. Leger Stakes as a three-year-old. He won five other Group Races before being retired to stud.

Humble Duty (1967–1975) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career lasting from May 1969 until September 1970, the filly ran eleven times and won eight races. As a two-year-old she was rated the best of her age and sex in Britain after winning the Lowther Stakes at York and the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket. In the following season she won five races, all over one mile, including the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. She was retired to stud at the end of that season, but had little chance to make an impact as a broodmare, dying in 1975 at the age of eight.

Ameerat is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a racing career which lasted from August 2000 to October 2001 she ran seven times and won two races. After winning once from three starts as a two-year-old, she won the Classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse on her first appearance of the 2001 season. Her subsequent career was disappointing, as she finished unplaced in her three remaining races. At the end of her three-year-old season she was retired from racing to become a broodmare. Ameerat was not regarded as one of the better classic winners.

Height of Fashion was French-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Owned and bred by Queen Elizabeth II, she was undefeated in her three races as a two-year-old in 1981, winning the Acomb Stakes, May Hill Stakes and Fillies' Mile. The following year she added a win in the Lupe Stakes before a record-breaking victory in the Princess of Wales's Stakes. She ran poorly in her two remaining races and was retired to stud at the end of the season. Height of Fashion proved to be an exceptional broodmare, producing the major stakes winners Unfuwain, Nashwan and Nayef. She died in Kentucky in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elm Park (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Elm Park is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old he became regarded as a leading contender for the 2015 British Classic Races after wins in the Royal Lodge Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. In 2015 he finished third to Golden Horn and Jack Hobbs in the Dante Stakes but finished unplaced in The Derby. He later won the listed Fortune Stakes.

Piccolo was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed promising but unremarkable form in his early career, winning one of his first ten starts. In the summer of his three-year-old season he was switched to sprint distances and became a top class performer, winning the Chipchase Stakes before being awarded the Nunthorpe Stakes on the disqualification of Blue Siren. He returned as a four-year-old in 1995 and won the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. Apart from his victories he also finished second in both the Haydock Sprint Cup and the July Cup. After his retirement from racing he became a successful breeding stallion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cracksman (horse)</span> British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire

Cracksman is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He won his only race as a two-year-old in 2016 before developing into a top-class middle distance performer in the following year. As a three-year-old Cracksman won the Investec Derby Trial before running third when favourite for the 2017 Epsom Derby. The horse then finished runner-up in the Irish Derby. He went on to win the Great Voltigeur Stakes and Prix Niel, before recording an emphatic success in the Champion Stakes. He ended the year as the top-rated three-year-old in the world. In 2018, he won the Prix Ganay and the Coronation Cup before taking a second Champion Stakes.

Air Express was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He was highly tried as a juvenile in 1996, winning one minor race and being placed in the July Stakes, Solario Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes. In the spring of 1997, he embarked on a successful international campaign winning the Premio Parioli in Italy and the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen in Germany. On his return to England, he ran second in the St James's Palace Stakes and recorded his biggest victory when taking the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. He failed to win in two starts as a four-year-old and was retired to stud. He made a promising start to his career as a breeding stallion but died in 2000 at the age of six.

Where Or When was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed good form as a two-year-old in 2001, winning three races including the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes as well as finishing fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes and the Solario Stakes. In the following year he ran unplaced in the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby before recording his first win almost ten months when he took the Thoroughbred Stakes. On his final run of the year he recorded his biggest victory when he upset the odds-on favourite Hawk Wing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. In 2003 he failed to win but was placed in the Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes. After his retirement from racing he had modest success as a breeding stallion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Marquand</span> British jockey

Tom Marquand is a British jockey who competes in flat racing.

Robert Hornby is a British jockey who competes in flat racing. Riding as a freelance, his four Group 1 wins, as of 2023, have been for trainers Andrew Balding and Ralph Beckett.

References

  1. 1 2 "Race Report - 17:00 Britannia Stakes - Ascot - Sky Sports Horse Racing". skysports.com.
  2. "GERMANY Probert calls Highland Knight best he's ever ridden after success - Horse Racing News - Racing Post". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 1 May 2015.
  3. "Race Report - 17:25 Darley Stakes - Newmarket - Sky Sports Horse Racing". skysports.com.
  4. WalesOnline (6 June 2014). "Horse Racing: Welsh jockey David Probert goes for Classic glory in the Epsom Derby 2014". WalesOnline. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. "Bargoed rider to join world's greats at Epsom". South Wales Argus.
  6. "About Us | Brighton Racecourse". www.brighton-racecourse.co.uk. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  7. "Germany Here Comes When strikes for Balding - Horse Racing News - Racing Post". Racing Post . Archived from the original on 4 September 2014.
  8. Racing Post
  9. "Dancing Star lands Stewards' punt| Race Report 15:45 Goodwood | Jul 30 2016 | Qatar Stewards' Cup (Heritage Handicap) | Horse Racing Previews & Reports | Sporting Life". Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.

http://www.geegeez.co.uk/a-chat-with-david-probert/