As the National Hunt season progresses into early 2025, several jockeys are worth watching closely in the months ahead.
Each season brings a range of coveted prizes and titles for jockeys to pursue, and this year offers an exciting new opportunity: the prestigious David Power Jockeys’ Cup. Boasting a remarkable £1.5 million prize fund, this competition awards an impressive £500,000 to the winner.
Here, we spotlight the top five Jump jockeys to watch in 2025.
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Harry Skelton currently leads the David Power Cup standings with 174 points and has achieved 108 winners this season. Many of Harry’s rides come from his brother, Dan Skelton, a trainer based in Warwickshire.
The Skelton brothers closed last year’s campaign on a high note, securing four wins at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2024. Their success stood out as a strong showing for British trainers during a week largely dominated by Irish competitors.
This season, they appear poised for another impressive run, with a mix of familiar horses returning and new stable stars joining the fray. Among them is The New Lion, recently acquired by JP McManus, who will now race in the iconic green and gold silks. The duo continues to build momentum, and Harry is aiming for the Jockey’s Championship, competing against top riders like Sean Bowen and Harry Cobden.
Sean Bowen narrowly missed out on the Jockey’s Championship last year, losing to Harry Cobden in a thrilling battle that went down to the final stages of the season. However, the 27-year-old has already surged ahead this year, sitting nine winners clear with a total of 117 so far—and there’s every expectation of more to come.
Bowen frequently partners with trainer Olly Murphy and picks up rides for various other trainers as well. His consistent presence at smaller tracks across the country gives him ample opportunities to rack up victories this season.
After an injury derailed his Championship hopes last year, Sean is determined to reclaim the title from Cobden and seems well-positioned to do so.
William Hill ambassador Sam Twiston-Davies has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, placing him second in the David Power Cup standings with 162 points and third in the Jockeys’ Championship with 78 winners from 417 rides—a solid strike rate of 19%.
As the son of renowned trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies, Sam has firmly established himself as a household name among National Hunt racing fans. He first achieved a century of winners in the 2013/14 season and has repeated the feat seven times since. With his current form, this season looks set to be another standout year for him.
Last year’s Champion Jockey, Harry Cobden, reaped the rewards of a stellar season riding for top trainer Paul Nicholls. This year, however, he has had a slower start, participating in 300 fewer races than Sean Bowen and securing 65 winners so far.
That said, the reigning champion is known for his strong finishes, and we anticipate a surge of winners from him as spring approaches. Keep an eye out for Cobden to make his move in the latter stages of the season.
Nico de Boinville has earned a reputation as a big-race specialist, boasting an impressive 16 victories at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival alone. As the stable jockey for legendary trainer Nicky Henderson, Nico’s journey has been remarkable, starting as a stable boy at Henderson’s yard back in 2009.
Throughout his career, Nico has been closely associated with some of National Hunt racing’s most iconic horses, including Jonbon, Sir Gino, Constitution Hill, Iberico Lord, and the late, great Shishkin.
His name is firmly etched in the sport’s history alongside these exceptional equine talents.
