In-form jockey William Buick has reigning Flat jockey champion Oisin Murphy in his sights

He’s ridden at the highest level for over a decade, first with John Gosden and, more recently, Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, and is now chasing a first title.

And while his route to the title differs from the path pursued by previous winners like Paul Hanagan, Silvestre de Sousa and Jim Crowley, his drive is discernible.

Today Buick heads to Doncaster where he hopes to land the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy with One Ruler, an early Classic prosect for next year, and close the gap on rival Oisin Murphy in the title race. A now intriguing contest, which concludes at Doncaster in a fortnight when it stages the Flat’s finale, sees Murphy on 128 winners and nine clear of the surging Buick who has halved the deficit in recent weeks. This included Buick’s treble at Wolverhampton on Thursday – a luckless Murphy drew a blank – and left the 2018 Derby-winning rider resolute.

“Being champion jockey, there is no denying the fact that it is very tough thing to do,” he told The Yorkshire Post before racing on Town Moor yesterday where both protagonists drew a blank. “But it is a great thing to do and is something I would really like to have on my CV – it is still the pinnacle of the sport – and I will certainly be trying to do it.”

It was 10 years ago that Buick, now 32, landed his first domestic Classic when Arctic Cosmos dominated the St Leger. Yet, while he’s always been unerringly consistent, big race demands at home, and overseas, prevented him from mounting a sustained challenge. This is despite his early mentor Andrew Balding’s father Ian, a retired trainer, reputedly staking a bet – before Buick had ridden in public – that he would be champion jockey by 2020 at odds of 500-1.

But the Covid lockdown, coupled with riders being restricted to one meeting a day, provided the jockey with a focus. And, after teaming up last winter with agent Tony Hind who has looked after so many past champions, he now has winning momentum.

He’s also thriving on it. “It’s very enjoyable, having to ride consistently and for different trainers who I have ridden for in the past,” said Buick. “It’s definitely something I am thriving off and, going forwards, it is good for me as a jockey. You are riding more, and it helps you keep in shape.

“We’ve not said it will be easy – Oisin isn’t going to stop riding winners. I’ve never hidden from the fact it’s going to be a hard thing to do, but we are giving it our best shot.”

Though Buick’s resolve will continue into subsequent seasons if he falls short, he accepts “a balance” needs to be struck with Godolphin who require him to be at his sharpest on the big days.

This month marked the retirement of both Pinatubo and Ghaiyyath, two horses that have enjoyed multiple successes at the highest level for the jockey and trainer Charlie Appleby. Both have now gone to stud and Buick expects them to become “two wonderful stallions who create a legacy at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stud”.

The jockey also explained why the colossus Ghaiyyath, a three-time Group One winner this summer and world’s highest-rated horse, came up the centre of York’s track to land the Juddmonte International. The colt, he said, was “swinging up the middle” and he didn’t want to complicate matters. “Because he was so competitive and genuine, when he got near a rail, he would race the rail and I needed him to conserve himself,” he explained.

Buick is looking forward to One Ruler’s run. Impressive at Newmarket last time out, his main rival is Aidan O’Brien’s Wembley, runner-up in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes. “It’s always a hard race normally won by a very good two-year-old who goes on to be a very good three-year-old,” he added. “I couldn’t be more pleased with his performance last time and he doesn’t mind the juice in the ground.”

A Group One race, it could – just as importantly – leave William Buick another winner nearer ruling racing for a first time.

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James Mitchinson