The second edition of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship recently concluded, with Oisin Murphy declared the winner. The event, which ran from 3 May to 18 October, saw elite jockeys from throughout the UK and Ireland take part in World Pool meetings. Points were awarded based on
With many of the biggest names in British and Irish horse racing taking part, the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship certainly attracted its fair share of bets. Horse racing is already one of the biggest betting markets, with many fans of the sport regularly visiting their favourite betting site to place wagers. When it came to the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship,
Murphy’s Win
Murphy earned a total of 151.15 points across 15 wins, with the second place going to Jamie Spencer with 125.70 points across just one win. In third place was Kieran Shoemark, who finished with 96.60 points and had five wins to his name. Then in fourth place was Richard Kingscote, whose points total was 91.75 and who won twice. Finally, the fifth-place jockey was Jason Watson, who scored a total of 90.60 points and won once.
The same points system was used to determine the placing of the jockeys at this year’s event. It’s different from most other horse racing championships in that it’s designed to level the playing field for all participating jockeys. Points are awarded to jockeys based on the winner’s World Pool win odds.
Murphy is said to be especially pleased with his win following a rather difficult start to the year. In April, he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and received a 20-month driving ban that could be reduced if he completed a course, along with a fine of £70,000.
He said that he wanted to prove to people that he was still a competent jockey and wouldn’t let the incident prevent him from achieving his ambitions. Indeed, he was even more determined than usual to win the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship. Thinking that he wouldn’t get support from anyone likely spurred him on to push himself and secure a win.
What He Has Done With the Winnings
Murphy has decided to split the £50,000 winnings equally between two charities. These are the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and Racing Welfare. Robert Pearce, the Head of High Value Partnerships at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, has commented on Murphy’s donation, saying it means the world to him.
He also mentioned that in the UK, six people are diagnosed with MND every day, and that the donation will go towards some worthy projects to help those affected by and living with MND.
Dawn Goodfellow, the Chief Executive of Racing Welfare, has also spoken about Murphy’s donation, saying that it means a great deal since their services are now needed more than ever before. She said she was grateful to both Murphy and the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship because the donation would make a significant impact on the charity’s ongoing work.
She also explained that the people who the charity supports are responsible for keeping horse racing going. The donation would help pay for another welfare officer to help people in the industry who are facing various challenges.
Murphy chose the Motor Neurone Disease Association because a close family friend is currently suffering from MND. He selected Racing Welfare because of the work it does for the industry. When commenting on his win, Murphy mentioned the recent, unexpected death of 41-year-old Nicki Strong, who joined Racing Welfare in 2021 and was its Head of Communications and Marketing. He said his thoughts were with the family, friends and colleagues of Nicki Strong.
More About Oisin Murphy
Murphy is a 30-year-old Irish jockey who’s based in the UK and has been a professional horse racer since 2013. In his career of over a decade, he’s secured a long list of wins and has many other achievements under his belt. These include being named the British flat racing Champion Jockey a total of five times in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. This title is awarded to whichever jockey ends up with the most wins by the end of a horse-racing season.
Murphy has won several dozen races that are classed as Group 1 or Grade 1. These include the Irish Champion Stakes with Roaring Lion in 2008, the Japan Cup with Suave Richard in 2019 and the Commonwealth Cup with Shaquille in 2023.
Last Year’s Winner
The winner of the first World Pool Jockeys’ Championship in 2024 was Billy Loughnane, who donated his full prize money to the Christy Lambe Foundation. This was set up in honour of Christy Lambe, a cyclist from Birmingham who died at the age of 30 in 2022. The charity focuses on improving people’s wellbeing and helping them with their day-to-day lives.
