Ryan Moore

Ryan Lee Moore (born 18 September 1983) is an English flat racing jockey, who was Champion Jockey in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

He is currently the first choice jockey for Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle operation, a role in which he mainly rides horses owned by Coolmore Stud.

He also sometimes rides horses for Juddmonte and The Royal Family.

As of 2023, Moore has ridden over 170 Group or Grade 1 winners internationally.

He has the most British Group & Listed wins of any active jockey.

Moore is the son of successful trainer and former jump jockey Gary L. Moore, and brother to jump jockeys Jamie Moore and Joshua Moore, and top amateur jockey Hayley Moore.

He has four children.

He is the grandson of trainer Charlie Moore, a well-known character who lived around the corner from Brighton Racecourse.

Charlie was also a second-hand car salesman, and many stories have circulated about his dual career, including how he swapped three truck tyres in exchange for a filly, and how he started training when he accidentally bought a horse by raising his hand at auction.

He is also close to Gary's sister, his aunt Candy, who is also a jockey.

Moore considers himself the laziest of the family.

Moore starting riding at four, having lessons at his grandad's and with the pony club.

However, he didn't enjoy cross country and showjumping, finding it a "bit tame" when he wanted to be doing competitive racing instead.

National Hunt jockey AP McCoy rode for Moore's father when in his teens and Moore, aged 12, led him over hurdles as they schooled horses.

Moore was influenced by his drive and dedication.

"He wanted to ride everything in the yard. His work ethic was huge," he told an interviewer.

Unlike his siblings, who knew from an early age that they wanted to race, this wasn't always clear to Moore.

Football was another passion, and he had trials with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Moore's first wins came as a 16-year-old, which is when he decided to take up racing as a career, although his mother Jayne tried to persuade him to stay at school and complete his A-levels believing he wouldn't make it in racing.

At one point, he too did not consider himself good enough.

During his A-levels, he was taking days off to ride, but this only lasted one term before he gave up.

Moore rode winners for his grandad before the latter died in 2000.

"I was close to him and won a couple of races before he died in 2000. I like to think it made him happy, that it brought him something at the end of his life. I'm glad he saw it."

His first major victory came for a different trainer, though, when he won the 2002 Cesarewitch Handicap for Martin Pipe on Miss Fara on 19 October 2002.

He got his first black type victory later that same year when winning the Listed Jebel Ali Stakes in the United Arab Emirates shortly after Christmas 2002.

He didn't score any major victories in 2003, and had a strike rate of under 10%, but it was enough for him to become Champion Apprentice.

2004 saw him top 100 winners and £1 million in prize money for the first time and on 29 August, he won his first group race, the Group 3 Prestige Stakes at Goodwood.

For Hannon, he then won his first Group 2 race, taking the Mill Reef Stakes on Galleota in September.

Increasingly, Moore rode for Sir Michael Stoute, sharing those duties with Kerrin McEvoy, Mick Kinane and others after Kieren Fallon quit as stable jockey to ride for Aidan O'Brien.

It was for Stoute he had his first Group 1 win, on Notnowcato in the Juddmonte International at York in August 2006.

That year he won his first jockeys' title which came as a surprise to him.

He had said that the odds of 8/1 on him becoming champion at the start of the season were too generous, but he had expected to finish third.

Commentators were suggesting that his "resilience and iron will should turn Moore into one of racing's iconic figures."

In 2006, he was riding at 8st 5 lb most days.

In 2007, he rode Notnowcato to victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland, and in the Eclipse.

For the latter race, Moore took the horse down the stands side, while the remainder of the field including odds-on favourite and Derby winner Authorized and George Washington raced on the other side of the track.

Moore's first mentor was Richard Hannon, a trainer for whom he would still be winning big races when Hannon retired in 2013.

He was sent to Hannon by his father.

At the end of his first full season, he won the Cesarewitch Handicap and had Group race experience.

At 16, he weighed 8st 10 lb, but by the time he became champion apprentice he had to get down to 7st 13 lb.