Brenton Avdulla eyeing Australia’s top spot

27-year old Brenton Avdulla is fast closing in on the title of Australia’s premier jockey with the Sydney-based rider currently sitting 2nd in the national rankings, just 12 wins shy of Western-Australian cult figure William Pike.

Avdulla is enjoying arguably his best season yet, at present just 5 wins short of raising the bat with 95 wins from 447 starts for season 2017-18. The flamboyant jockey has been prolific in the last 12 months in particular, winning 155 races and placing in another 274 at a whopping 50%, an unbelievable strike rate for primarily metropolitan races.

In terms of prize-money however, Brenton Avdulla is in a league of his own compared to some of the country’s other top jockeys. He is the top-earning jockey currently for those in the top 10 in terms of wins for this season, earning a total of $7,920,890.

In comparison to number 1 William Pike, Avdulla has amassed over double, with the wizard’s earnings totalling $3,834,373 for his 107 wins in 2017-18. In fact, as well as being ranked number 2 for total wins Australia-wide, potential heir to the Bowman throne Avdulla is also in reach of the top earning jockey in the country, behind only Kerrin McEvoy and Corey Brown.

With the potential of being crowned the country’s best in the near future; the 5-time group 1 winner was earmarked as one of the front-runners to ride Winx in the Apollo Stakes before it was announced she would not be running, and was also the first-choice replacement for Tommy Berry on Chautauqua during 2017.

A consistent performer on the big stage, Brenton Avdulla has won 27 listed races, culminating with 45 victories at group level. His most renowned group 1 victory was perhaps the brilliant front-running ride on Lasqueti Spirit in the Crown Oaks at Flemington in 2016, with many still signing his praises after the famous victory.

Since his first ride in 2007, Avdulla has gone on to ride 920 winners, agonisingly close to the big 1000 ticking over. He is booked in for 8 rides at Warwick Farm this weekend including Nettoya in the Group 2 Breeders Classic and the well-fancied Siege of Quebec in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes.