| Royston Ffrench | |
| Occupation: | Jockey |
| Birth Date: | 5 September 1975 |
| Birth Place: | Telford, Shropshire, United Kingdom |
| Race: | Preis von Europa (2009) Dubai Duty Free Turf (2010) Deutsches Derby (2010) |
| Awards: | British Champion Apprentice Jockey (1997) |
| 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/ |
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.
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]
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]
United Arab Emirates