Newbury Racecourse Launches ‘Flat Ride Of The Year’ Award In Partnership With The PJA

Newbury Racecourse has announced the launch of its new ‘Flat Ride of the Year’ award for the 2026 season, an exciting new initiative designed to celebrate exceptional riding and further engage racegoers.

Supported by the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), standout rides will be chosen by the commentary team after every Flat meeting at the Racecourse and showcased on a dedicated landing page.

At the conclusion of Newbury’s Flat season, five rides will be shortlisted for the public vote, allowing annual members, racegoers and racing fans to revisit the season’s most memorable moments before selecting their ‘Ride of the Year’. Voting will open following the BetVictor Flat Finale Weekend in October and will remain live for two weeks before the inaugural winner is officially crowned.

The triumphant jockey will be announced across Newbury’s digital and social media channels. The prize will be delivered in association with The Retreat at Elcot Park, who will be providing a luxury weekend stay and well-earned opportunity to unwind following a busy summer campaign.

Kicking things off, the first two rides were selected during Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials Weekend. On Friday 17 April, John Egan’s prominent ride aboard the Alan Howes-trained Call My Bluff earned recognition following their impressive success in Race 5 on the card. The next day, Jamie Spencer’s front-running tactics on Ian Bartlett’s Linwood to win the OLBG Spring Cup secured the second featured ride.

Dale Gibson, Racing Director of the Professional Jockeys Association, commented: “The PJA are delighted to be partnering with Newbury Racecourse on the ‘Flat Ride of the Year’ award and hope it gives the track’s annual members, and regular racegoers, a bit of additional fun during the season. The prize package will be much appreciated by the winning rider. This collaboration is just one of the ways that the PJA and Newbury work together throughout the year to enhance the racegoer experience.”

Shaun Hinds, Chief Executive at Newbury Racecourse, commented: “We are always looking for new ways to bring our racegoers closer to the sport and celebrate the incredible talent we see on the track throughout the year. It’s increasingly common for sports to promote a ‘Goal of the Week’ or ‘Shot of the Tournament’ to engage with fans

of the sport. With some of the incredible rides that our Jockeys pull off each season, it’s a logical step for us to introduce the Newbury ‘Flat Ride of the Year’. We are delighted to be working alongside the PJA on this initiative and look forward to seeing which ride captures the imagination of the voting public later this year.”