With the end of the racing season fast approaching, the good racing isn’t far away and with that, the door for 2024/25 will be properly shut. The horses are the main stars of the show, but close behind them is the person on top, steering them around.
Down below is what we feel are the 10 best rides of 2024.
1: Craig Williams on Bella Nipotina The Everest: Initiative race riding…gee it’s a thing of beauty, and IMO, the best display of that in 2024 was clearly Craig Williams aboard Bella Nipotina in The Everest. Most had her mapped back, midfield at best, from the wide gate, but Williams threw out the speed map and sent her forward immediately, landing three wide no cover on speed. Given how tough she is, doing that sort of work in the run is no issue for her and she dug in late to win.
But given the race shape, if Williams goes back, the mare doesn’t get close at all, so the fact he rolled the dice, trusted his ability, the ability of the horse…brilliant ride.
BELLA NIPOTINA TAKES OUT THE 2024 EVEREST! 🏔️
WHAT A SPECIAL HORSE! @CWilliamsJockey @cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/InnFzFNZ6m
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 19, 2024
2: James McDonald on Broadsiding Rosehill Guineas: The ride won the race, simple as that. The horse was a query at 2000m after the Randwick Guineas effort and drawing, the speed map looked tricky. But J Mac, after early intent, was able to lob 1/1 and that was the end of the race really, albeit Aeliana was unlucky in behind. But without the 12/10 ride from J Mac, Broadsiding doesn’t win the race.
What a total thriller in the G1 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas! 🤩
Broadsiding hangs on from the fast-finishing Aeliana to give @mcacajamez a G1 double today!@JamesCummings88 | @godolphin | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/c9kvMmuoeM
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 22, 2025
3: Blake Shinn on Antino Toorak Handicap: You probably only need one hand to count the number of riders in Melbourne that show initiative on a consistent basis. The best of them, by some distance, is Blake Shinn, and his ride on Antino was just something else. Dragged back to last from the gate and hot favourite Another Wil had front end control. Blake Shinn said enough was enough He took off around 800m out from home, from last, shot straight to the front…and just kept running. Admittedly you need to have the horse underneath you to pull off something like that, but the manner in which he did it was simply incredible, winning by a space and getting a well deserved Group l win.
BLAKE SHINN, WHAT A RIDE! 😱
ANTINO LOOPS THE FIELD AND DESTROYS THEM IN THE TOORAK! @blake_shinn @tonygollan pic.twitter.com/ihAlzKrkSj
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 12, 2024
4: Jamie Kah on Goldrush Guru Victoria Derby: Jamie Kah sits second to Blake Shinn when it comes to initiative in the Melbourne riding ranks and her Derby Day was interesting to say the least. She got a headbutt prior to the Wakeful from a horse and had to pass the concussion test. She then came out and won on Another Wil, an emotional win given the recent passing of Col McKenna, and then she came out and won the feature on Goldrush Guru. Drew 13/16, she was able to land 1/1 and from then, it was just a case of pushing the button and the horse did the rest. But, the positive ride from Kah was a big factor.
GOLDRUSH GURU wins the Penfolds Victoria Derby 🌟
It’s a race to remember for @jamieleekah07 and Andrew Gluyas.
🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/k1P2iYAD9e
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 2, 2024
5: Harry Coffey on Duke De Sessa Caulfield Cup: Ballsy ride from Harry to take out this race. Ballsy in the sense he took no prisoners from around the 600m mark, pushing the button and making it a proper 2400m contest. Credit to the horse for fighting on as well as he did but he maintained a safe margin and took the stuffing out of his rivals. Big win, but a great ride.
“This is your moment!”
Harry Coffey wins the 2024 Caulfield Cup aboard DUKE DE SESSA! 👑 @cmaherracing @HTCoffey pic.twitter.com/NyMviHWncs
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 19, 2024
6: Mark Zahra on Southport Tycoon Manikato Stakes: A simply remarkable ride and win. Blessed bu the inside path he got? Maybe, but he still had to duck and weave to get clear air while Growing Empire was off and gone in front. The horse savaged the line to nab the stablemate on the peg. The ride and win confirms again that Zahra, when he is on, is one of the best big race riders in the country.
Sorry… what!? 🤯🤯🤯🤯
SOUTHPORT TYCOON has grown wings late in the piece to win the G1 Manikato Stakes!
🎥: @Racing pic.twitter.com/uz0EywFGnL
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) September 27, 2024
7: Damian Lane on Prognosis Cox Plate: Beaten, but I loved this ride from Lane. This horse is known to be terrible when the gates open, flop out the back and pretty much throw away any chance of winning. But, Lane got him to jump clean and he decided there’ll be no bad luck for him, sending him straight on speed. If you were on him, you would have thought he was home 800m-1000m out, especially when Pride Of Jenni was under pressure. But, nobody could have predicted the world class performance that Via Sistina displayed, smashing the track record. Prognosis smashed the track record too, but I loved the positive ride from the outset instead of jumping and snagging.
What a performance! Via Sistina lands the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley for @mcacajamez and @cwallerracing… pic.twitter.com/fQxl8QFces
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 26, 2024
8: Mark Zahra on Deny Knowledge Might And Power: Gee I loved this from Zahra. Mr Brightside was a dominant favourite and everyone just expected him to win and win well en route to the Cox Plate. But, Zahra made sure it was a proper 2000m contest, rolling along in front on Deny Knowledge and he had Mr Brightside beaten on the turn, making him chase from a fair way out while Deny Knowledge just kept running and was dominant on the line.
Caulfield Stakes winner DENY KNOWLEDGE the 5th Gr1 winner for Pride Of Dubai@YulongInvest @FreedmanRacing @HoneycombStud @Doyle_Racing @Goffs1866 @patrickcosgro17 @mmsnippets @CoolmoreAus pic.twitter.com/Ta01EFtv9J
— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) October 13, 2024
9: Tommy Berry on Gringotts The Gong: Love riders that take bad luck out of the equation and this ride from Tommy in The Gong was a beauty. Drew wide, and his intent was there from the outset, finding the front after a few hundred metres, and once he found the front, he got front end control and he gave nothing else a look in to win and win well. The horse was flying at the time, but the ride certainly was a big factor as to why the horse won.
GRINGOTTS WINS THE GONG! 🏆
What a dominant performance in what has been an unbelievable few months of racing for @cmaherracing! pic.twitter.com/3IZxes06Or
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 23, 2024
10: Ethan Brown on Light Infantry Man Northerly Stakes: The final major of the year, and the only positive ride in the race won it. Ethan Brown was on this guy and most had him mapped back from the wide gate, but Brown had other ideas. He hunted forward to lob outside the speed and from that position, he controlled the race and that was race over then, making a mess of them in the straight. He’s a rising star Ethan Brown and this was another beaut ride in a Group l.
LIGHT INFANTRY MAN finally gets over the line at Ascot 💥
A brilliant ride in the G1 Northerly Stakes ✅ pic.twitter.com/A1wdT5qgE9
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) December 7, 2024
