The 10 Greatest Flat Jockeys of All Time
Top 10 Flat Jockeys of All Time - From Classic Greats to Modern Icons
Legends of flat racing blend numbers with nerve. Titles, classic victories, lifetime win totals, global Group or Grade 1 tallies and singular feats under pressure are the currency that endures!
Our rankings balance career volume with peak quality and historical impact across Britain, Europe, North America and Japan…
Frankie Dettori combined elite results with global popular appeal. Image credits: AP News
Our list of the top 10 flat jockeys of all time includes riders who set incredible records in the world of horse racing. There is room for debate, as always in sport, but the numbers just don’t lie. So, let’s dive in!
1. Lester Piggott
He produced 4,493 wins in Britain
He won nine Epsom Derby victories
He enjoyed a 47-year career
Lester Piggott is the standard many still use. His combination of ice-cold race craft and relentless big-race accuracy produced 4,493 wins in Britain and a record nine Epsom Derby victories, unmatched in Classic history. He also collected 30 British Classics during a 47-year career that stretched across Europe and the US.
His influence extended to riding style and tactical patience, which countless younger riders have adopted. Even late into his career, he produced headline wins. Those bedrock numbers and his unique Derby haul put him at the top of any flat list.
Looking for more? Check out our list of the greatest equestrians of all time!
2. Sir Gordon Richards
He was a Champion Jockey 26 times
He amassed 4,870 winners
He rode 369 winners in a single season
Gordon Richards delivered industrial-scale dominance. He was Champion Jockey 26 times and amassed 4,870 winners. He was the first rider to pass 4,000, which is still a record for British Flat winners.
He rode 269 winners in a single season in 1947, a benchmark that stood in flat racing for decades, and he is the only flat jockey to be knighted.
Read more lists, profiles and interviews on our horse racing blog
His reign spanned pre- and post-war eras, yet his strike-rate remained formidable, a testament to his ruthless consistency and fitness across more than three decades in the saddle. For sustained supremacy by the numbers, nobody in Britain did it longer or more often.
3. Bill Shoemaker
He achieved 8,833 wins
He won the Kentucky Derby four times
His mounts earned more than $120 million in purses
The quintessential American master of pace and position, Bill Shoemaker retired with 8,833 wins, a North American total that stood as the benchmark until the late 1990s.
He won the Kentucky Derby four times, as well as multiple Preakness and Belmont triumphs. He piloted legendary horses like Swaps, Damascus and Spectacular Bid.
His career spanned 41 years, and his mounts earned more than $120 million in purses, extraordinary for the era. Shoemaker’s balance and timing in stretch runs became the coaching tape for generations of riders. He still defines the Classic US seat to this day.
4. Frankie Dettori
He won multiple Arcs, Classics and worldwide majors
At Ascot in September 1996, he rode all seven winners on the card
His career spanned over 35 years
Few riders have combined elite results with global popular appeal like Frankie Dettori. One of his most famous achievements was his “Magnificent Seven” at Ascot on 28 September 1996, when he rode all seven winners on the card. This achievement changed betting folklore and catapulted him into mainstream culture.
In a career that spanned over 35 years, Dettori achieved big at Royal Ascot, showing his sustained dominance on British racing’s biggest stage. He also took home multiple Arcs, Classics and worldwide majors.
5. Eddie Arcaro
He is the only jockey to win the American Triple Crown twice
He was the first rider to win five Kentucky Derbies
His career spanned 31 years
Eddie Arcaro set Triple Crown standards that still tower over US flat racing. He is the only jockey to win the American Triple Crown twice, once with Whirlaway in 1941 and again with Citation in 1948. He also became the first rider to win five Kentucky Derbies.
Across 31 years, he won 4,779 races and 549 stakes, with total purses over $30 million in mid-century money. He brought a ruthless competitive edge to America’s most pressurised races and, in US Classics, he remains the yardstick for big-day execution.
6. Pat Eddery
He was a Champion Jockey 11 times
He won 14 British Classics
He rode over 4,600 winners
Pat Eddery combined volume with ruthless finishes. He was Champion Jockey 11 times in Britain, a tally matched only by Lester Piggott, and he rode more than 4,600 winners domestically.
His résumé includes 14 British Classics, including the 1986 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Dancing Brave, which is often cited as one of the greatest European performances.
Eddery’s relentless work-rate and whip-hand drive made him a fearsome closer, and his peak in the 1980s and 1990s coincided with Britain’s deep international competition.
Check out our horse racing quotes for words of wisdom from greats like Pat Eddery, Bill Shoemaker and more.
7. Jerry Bailey
He finished his career with 5,894 wins
He won 15 Breeders’ Cup victories
He won a record seven Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey
Jerry Bailey defined US big-race nous in the 1990s and early 2000s. He won a record seven Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey, the highest total ever, and finished with 5,894 wins, including 15 Breeders’ Cup victories and multiple wins in each Triple Crown race.
His clock-management and tactical reads in Grade 1 pace scenarios became legendary, whether he was saving ground on the rail or producing a decisive outside move at the eighth pole. Bailey’s sustained Eclipse dominance is the statistical proof of his peerless prime.
8. Mike E. Smith
He won over 200 Grade 1 victories
He achieved 27 Breeders’ Cup wins - an all-time record
He won the US Triple Crown in 2018
Mike E. Smith owns the Breeders’ Cup like no other rider, holding the all-time record of 27 Breeders’ Cup wins, an unmatched strike rate on championship weekends. He won the US Triple Crown aboard Justify in 2018 and has piled up more than 200 Grade 1 victories in North America.
Smith’s hallmark is his calm performance when the lights burn brightest — Distaffs, Sprints and multiple Classics. No modern jockey has left a deeper imprint on America’s end-of-season championships.
9. Russell Baze
He finished his career with 12,842 victories - an all-time North American record
His career purses exceeded $199 million
He was known for his durability and discipline
Russell Baze is remembered for his incredible volume of wins. He retired with a whopping 12,842 victories, the all-time North American record, according to Equibase figures reported at the time of his retirement.
That total reflects extraordinary durability, discipline and daily excellence on the Northern California circuit, with career purses exceeding $199 million. While his biggest-race résumé is lighter than others on this list, the sheer weight of winners — year after year — is a statistical monument unlikely to be matched.
10. Yutaka Take
He’s achieved 4,500 JRA wins so far
He is known as Japan’s most famous jockey - and he’s still going strong
He won the Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup in 2024
Japan’s most famous jockey is also its most statistically decorated. Yutaka Take reached 4,500 JRA wins in 2024, an unprecedented milestone for the Japan Racing Association circuit. He’s since pushed beyond that mark, and he remains a perennial G1 presence, including landmark victories like the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup in 2024 with Do Deuce.
Take’s influence is more than just wins: he professionalised the modern Japanese pedal-to-the-metal riding style and helped bring Japanese racing to the global stage.
The Top Flat Jockeys in the World - Key Takeaways
Styles and eras may change, but some things stay the same. These flat jockeys all have supreme judgement, tactical nerve and an ability to deliver when it matters most. Their records tell a coherent story about greatness in flat racing - and it’s clear to see why they continue to set the bar for future riders.
So, do you agree with our picks? Who are the greatest flat jockeys of all time? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
