Royston Ffrench

Royston Ffrench (born 5 September 1975^[1]) is a professional flat jockey. He was the 1997 British Champion Apprentice Jockey and has won multiple Grade 1 races in Europe and the Middle East.

Royston Ffrench
Occupation	Jockey
Born	(1975-09-05) 5 September 1975 (age 48) Telford, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Major racing wins
Preis von Europa (2009) Dubai Duty Free Turf (2010) Deutsches Derby (2010)
Racing awards
British Champion Apprentice Jockey (1997)
Significant horses
Jukebox Jury, Al Shemali, Buzzword During the 2009 WSOP Ffrench knocked out world renowned friend of Terry The Handicapper Brian on his very first hand in the Competition, Brian had Pocket Aces with Ffrench holding 2 Kings, when the flop came 9 4 J, Brian went for the kill, Ffrench came back over the board with the all in. Brian snap called, much to his and his rails delight flipped over his Aces the turn showed a 7, Ffrench was down to 3% and was looking for The Case King which Duly arrived, Brian fell to his knees and sobbed for a day claiming it was his worst bad best since being knockout of The Million Pound Scoop 6 in the first leg only for the five remaining runners all to win. The Scoop wasn’t won.
Website
http://www.roystonffrench.com/

Early life

Ffrench was bought up in Telford, and is the son of a Jamaican migrant. He is one of 15 siblings. He credits his Uncle for getting him into horse racing, as Ffrench spent his teenage years working in a factory and valeting cars.^[2][3][4]

Racing career

Ffrench joined the British Racing School course in Newmarket in 1995. Ffrench was apprentice to Luca Cumani, and had his first public race ride in October 1995 before a first winner at Doncaster in March 1996. He won the 1996 Cesarewitch onboard Inchcailoch.^[5] His first Group win, the St. Simon Stakes at Newbury, came in 1997 riding Kaliana for Cumani and owner HH Aga Khan IV.^[6] That year, Ffrench would be crowned Champion Apprentice Jockey. Ffrench was one of three Champion Apprentice's who had worked with Cumani, the other two being Frankie Dettori and Jason Weaver.^[7][8]

Ffrench continued riding in the UK, but also further afield in the United Arab Emirates and Germany. In 2005, he was appointed lead jockey for trainer Howard Johnson and prolific owner Graham Wylie.^[9] His first Group 1 victory came in September 2009, when he won the Preis von Europa onboard Jukebox Jury.^[10] Ffrench had a successful winning partnership with the horse, having securing the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes and Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville just weeks prior.^[11][12] The following year, Jukebox Jury and Ffrench would win the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket.^[13]

In March 2010, whilst riding in Dubai, Ffrench scored another Group 1 success steering Al Shemali to victory in the Dubai Duty Free at odds of 40/1.^[14][15] In July, he partnered Buzzword to victory in the Group 1 Deutsches Derby at Hamburg for Godolphin.^[16]

Ffrench continues to ride in the UK during the summer flat season, and the UAE during the winter season. In July 2018, he was involved in a fall on the flat whilst competing in the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile which saw him out of action for seven months.^[17][18]

Major wins

  Germany

• Preis von Europa - Jukebox Jury (2009)
• Deutsches Derby - Buzzword (2010)

  United Arab Emirates

• Dubai Duty Free - Al Shemali (2010)

External links

• Royston Ffrench at Racing Post
• Royston Ffrench at Emirates Racing

References

1. "Rffrench". flatstats.co.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
2. "Racing: Ffrench ambassador for the new generation". The Independent. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
3. "Ffrench delight in Dubai". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
4. "A Ffrench revolution in Newmarket". The Independent. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
5. "profile". roystonffrench.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
6. "Perpetual St Simon Stakes Class A (Group 3)". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
7. "Royston Ffrench Champion Jockey Interview". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
8. "Luca Cumani: The end of an era". TDN. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
9. "Ffrench given top Northern job". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
10. "Große Preis von Europa: „Jukebox Jury" gewinnt das Traditionsrennen in Weidenpesch" (in German). report-k.de. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
11. "jukebox-jury-storms-to-3-length-victory-in-prix-kergorlay-deauville/". paulickreport.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
12. "Jury lays down the law at Haydock". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
13. "stanjames.com Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2) (Class 1) (Turf)". Racing TV. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
14. "Black History Month: Jockey Royston Ffrench on confronting racism, breaking new ground and hunting winners". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
15. "Local Raider Al Shemali steals Dubai Duty Free". Emirates Racing. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
16. "Buzzword Has Final Say in Deutsches Derby". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
17. "Royston Ffrench injured as popular Frankyfourfingers suffers fatal fall". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
18. "Royston Ffrench to make Southwell comeback after seven months out". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 September 2022.