James McDonald ranked best jockey in the world
James McDonald has been declared the world’s best jockey for 2022 by the by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
James McDonald has been declared the world’s best jockey for 2022, courtesy of the official rankings.
While its borderline impossible to determine objectively, the “world’s best jockey” mantle is figured out by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) by giving points to each jockey for the top 100 G1 races around the world.
With points issued on a 12-6-4 basis for the placegetters, McDonald was a runaway winner of the gong - tallying 142 points courtesy of nine winners, five seconds and a third from the qualifying races.
Anamoe was responsible for five of those wins, while Cascadian, Home Affairs, Verry Elleegant and Nature Strip were all among McDonald’s winners in the top 100 races.
Finishing runner-up in the rankings was Ryan Moore (96 points), the star UK jockey winning five of the applicable races.
William Buick (78 points), Jim Crowley (72) and Mark Zahra (70) rounded out the top five - Zahra’s wins in the Makybe Diva (I’m Thunderstruck) and Melbourne Cup (Gold Trip) powering him up the leaderboard.
Other Australians on the leaderboard include Jamie Kah (ninth), Hugh Bowman (eq 12th), Nash Rawiller (eq 14th), Damian Lane (eq 16th), Tim Clark (eq 22nd), Ethan Brown and Blake Shinn (both eq 25th).
The rankings, of course, aren’t a perfect science - the likes of Joao Moreira and Zac Purton are well down the order in a tie for 30th.
McDonald’s applicable wins in 2022
Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Home Affairs)
TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (Verry Elleegant)
Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (Anamoe)
Furphy T J Smith Stakes (Nature Strip)
Schweppes All Aged Stakes (Cascadian)
Winx Stakes (Anamoe)
Fujitsu General George Main Stakes (Anamoe)
Neds Might And Power Stakes (Anamoe)
Ladbrokes Cox Plate (Anamoe)
Originally published as James McDonald ranked best jockey in the world
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