On Thursday afternoon, one of the most talented and well-liked riders in the weighing room reached a significant career landmark. Heading to the Newmarket July Festival with 1999 British flat wins, William Buick shot through the 2,000 mark with an impressive opening-day treble.
Twelfth Time Lucky at HQ
Having reached that 1999 tally when partnering Coltrane to Listed success at Sandown on 4 July, it was only a matter of time until Buick joined the 2,000 club. However, the wait went on a little longer than many expected.
Buick’s nine subsequent rides produced nine consecutive defeats, including near misses aboard Ombudsman in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes and Defence Minister, who also finished second on the same Sandown card.
| Date | Race | Course | Horse | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th July | Handicap | Sandown | Triple Gee | 4th |
| 5th July | Coral Charge | Sandown | Queen All Star | 11th |
| 5th July | Coral Distaff | Sandown | Victory Queen | 4th |
| 5th July | Coral-Eclipse | Sandown | Ombudsman | 2nd |
| 5th July | Handicap | Sandown | Defence Minister | 2nd |
| 5th July | Handicap | Sandown | Keble Spirit | 3rd |
| 5th July | Handicap | Sandown | Arabian Light | 5th |
| 6th July | Prix Amandine | Deauville | Mandurah | 13th |
| 6th July | Prix Jean Prat | Deauville | Shadow Of Light | 4th |
Having travelled to Deauville following the Eclipse meeting, Buick’s next chance to reach the target came on the July Course. This time, he didn’t miss.
El Cordobes Kicks off Treble
Teaming up with the 6/4f Maximised in the July Stakes, Buick had solid claims on his opening ride at the meeting. However, Maximised finished out of the places, as did his next mount, Hallasan, in the Bet Boost At bet365 Handicap – extending the run of defeats to 11.
With Ghostwriter trading as the odds-on favourite, Buick’s wait appeared unlikely to end in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales’s Stakes. However, those chances increased when Ghostwriter was withdrawn from the race, having reared over in the pre-parade ring. Taking maximum advantage of the favourite’s misfortune, Buick tracked the pace before switching wide and driving El Cordobes to a 2-length success.
Having waited almost a week for win 2,000, win number 2,001 arrived just over half an hour later. Again, teaming up with Charlie Appleby, Buick was little more than a passenger as Crimson Rose cruised home in the maiden on the card. Still not done, Buick made it 2,002 aboard the equally impressive Opera Ballo in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes to bring up the hat trick.
Another Highlight in an Excellent Season
This latest achievement adds to what is becoming a vintage year for the 36-year-old rider. Back in May, Buick took centre stage on the Rowley Mile when bagging a Classic double aboard Ruling Court (2,000 Guineas) and Desert Flower (1,000 Guineas).
Moving on to Royal Ascot, the Godolphin number one reeled in a trio of Group race triumphs with Trawlerman (Gold Cup), Ombudsman (Prince Of Wales’s Stakes), and his favourite horse, Rebel’s Romance (Hardwicke Stakes).
William Buick: Career Highlights
With the remainder of the July Festival, Glorious Goodwood, and more still to come, Buick seems sure to add to his big-race tally in 2025. However, even if he retired tomorrow, Buick would leave the sport with a record that many riders can only dream of. Selected highlights include:
- British Champion Apprentice – 2008 (tied with David Probert)
- British Champion Jockey – 2022, 2023
- Epsom Derby Win – Masar (2018)
- 1,000 Guineas Win – Desert Flower (2025)
- 2,000 Guineas Wins – Notable Speech (2024), Ruling Court (2025)
- St Leger Wins – Arctic Cosmos (2010), Masked Marvel (2011), Hurricane Lane (2021)
- Dubai World Cup – Prince Bishop (2015)
- Breeders’ Cup Wins – Nine
Reason to Be Proud
When reacting to his fine achievement, Buick’s response was typically modest, with the rider stating:
“I’m very proud. It’s thanks to a lot of people. Thanks to my family, first and foremost, you can’t do it without them. And thanks to all the trainers, owners and stable staff, everyone who’s helped me over the years.”
Charlie Appleby supplied Buick with 595 of those winning rides and was quick to pay tribute:
“We’re just very lucky to have him as part of our team and a huge congratulations to him and his family. It’s a huge achievement and long may it continue.”
An Exclusive Club
In reaching this milestone, Buick becomes the seventh active jockey to enter the 2,000 club, joining:
- Frankie Dettori – 3,336 wins
- Joe Fanning – 2,778 wins
- Ryan Moore – 2,602 wins
- Jim Crowley – 2,342 wins
- Jamie Spencer – 2,302 wins
- Luke Morris – 2,237 wins
Soon to turn 37, Buick is younger than all bar Luke Morris on the above list. As such, he has a solid chance of moving up a couple of positions before he calls time on his career, but Frankie Dettori’s huge tally may be out of reach. Then again, if Buick follows in the footsteps of the evergreen Italian and rides on into his 54th year, you never know.
