Sly Man's Jockeys Taking Aim — Friday 25 September 2026
The riders I'm watching today — the loaded books, the marquee bookings, the form jocks pinging the radar.
Five riders worth watching today. A loaded book is a market signal in itself — when a form jock has multiple chances, the yard sees the day as live. I read the diaries with one eye on the silks, one on the trainer form. Here's what's caught my eye.
⚡ William Buick rolls into today on the back of five winners in seven days, and with a career strike rate sitting at a cool 25% from nearly 1,500 rides, this is a man in the kind of form that makes race-cards worth marking up. Get him onside in the 15:00 — Talk of New York carries a speed rating of 135, and Buick firing hot is exactly the combination the layers won't be falling over themselves to advertise.
- 5 winners in the last 7 days
- 25% career strike rate (1488 rides)
- On Talk of New York (SR 135) in the 15:00
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13:15
Gilding The Lily T: John & Thady Gosden13/2 9th
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13:50
Without Prejudice T: John & Thady Gosden5/1 8th
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14:25
Miss Miniver T: Roger Varian17/2 4th
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15:00
Talk of New York T: Charlie Appleby1/2 🏆 WON
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15:35
Fortitudine T: Charlie Appleby7/4 🏆 WON
Oisin Murphy
⚡ Oisin Murphy is red-hot right now — six winners in the last seven days from a man who already converts at 22% across 2,723 career rides. The 16:10 is the one to watch: Sterling Cooper runs off a speed rating of 139, and Murphy on that number is not a combination you walk past.
- 6 winners in the last 7 days
- 22% career strike rate (2723 rides)
- On Sterling Cooper (SR 139) in the 16:10
- 13:15 Estissa 4/1 4th
- 13:50 Prizeland 10/3 7th
- 14:25 Redline 100/1 9th
- 15:00 The Lost King 13/2 🥈 2nd
- 16:10 Sterling Cooper 16/1 🥉 3rd
- 16:45 Be The Standard 11/1 🥈 2nd
Harry Skelton
⚡ Harry Skelton arrives here mid-streak — three winners in the last seven days from a man who already converts at 27% across 1,632 career rides. Premier Tenor at 15:15 carries a speed rating of 116, and when Skelton is running this hot you don't wait for the market to catch up.
- 3 winners in the last 7 days
- 27% career strike rate (1632 rides)
- On Premier Tenor (SR 116) in the 15:15
- 14:05 Palamon 3/1 5th
- 14:40 Down To Business 4/1 13th
- 15:15 Premier Tenor 10/11 Pulled up
- 15:50 I'm A Starman 18/1 🥈 2nd
Paul Townend
⚡ Paul Townend arrives at today's single booking red-hot — five winners in the last seven days and a career strike rate of 38% over 886 rides that most jockeys would retire on. Reaching High (SR 163) in the 13:40 is not a race you throw at a jockey in this form unless you mean business.
- 5 winners in the last 7 days
- 38% career strike rate (886 rides)
- On Reaching High (SR 163) in the 13:40
Billy Loughnane
⚡ Billy Loughnane is on fire right now — 12 winners in seven days is not a purple patch, it's a statement of form that separates the serious riders from the journeymen. At 16:10 he climbs aboard Howzatt, a horse carrying a speed rating of 152, and if you're not marking that booking down you're not paying attention.
- 12 winners in the last 7 days
- 18% career strike rate (3046 rides)
- On Howzatt (SR 152) in the 16:10
- 13:50 Sunshine Star 18/1 5th
- 14:25 Sea Venture 20/1 6th
- 15:00 Wild Desert 40/1 4th
- 15:35 Castlemont 9/2 4th
- 16:10 Howzatt 4/1 5th
- 16:45 Waterford Castle 10/3 7th