A new global jockeys’ league for flat racing will launch next year, potentially bringing racing superstar Frankie Dettori back to UK racecourses. The competition aims to unite 12 of the world’s top riders across 10 events at prestigious venues worldwide.
New Format Transforms Racing Competitions
The new format puts jockeys in competition for points while they race under personal team brands. This builds a story that lasts all season in a sport that usually centers on separate races and one-off events.
Dettori, at 54 years old, now races mostly in the United States after he left the British racing scene in 2023. The Italian star won more than 3,300 races throughout his 37-year career as a main figure in British and European horse racing.
British fans who use offshore betting sites to follow races abroad will soon see their local favorites race against the best from around the world. Ryan Moore and William Buick both said yes to the project, which adds major UK interest to this global contest.
The roster features truly global representation with James McDonald, Yutaka Take, Joao Moreira, Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona, Zac Purton, Irad Ortiz Jr, Flavien Prat, and Vincent Ho all signing on. This lineup spans racing traditions from Japan, Hong Kong, France, America, Australia, and Europe.
Racing Industry Veterans Lead Project
The league comes from the minds of Lachlan Fitt and John Ferguson. Together, they know both the ins and outs of race management and money matters, which makes people in the business take this project seriously.
The plans show that the league wants to work alongside the current race schedule, not against it. The team aims to place events close to big racing festivals to draw more fans and make travel easier for the jockeys who take part.
British racing enthusiasts may particularly benefit from this structure, as multiple UK stops appear likely during the first year. This news takes on additional significance given Dettori’s enormous popularity in Britain and his absence from UK tracks since 2023.
Personal and Professional Stakes
For Dettori personally, the league presents an opportunity during a complicated period. March saw the Italian file for bankruptcy in the UK after failing to reach an agreement regarding an extended tax avoidance case.
The timing aligns with broader efforts to modernize racing’s appeal following the success of the “Race For The Crown” Netflix series. The documentary format introduced new audiences to racing narratives and personalities, creating fertile ground for a competition focusing on star jockeys.
Commercial and Competitive Structure
The exact money details aren’t public yet, but this league format opens up new ways to make a profit for the sport. Each jockey with a personal team brand means fans can buy team gear, and the full-season structure tells stories that normal race meets often don’t.
The system that counts points across many races rewards jockeys who perform well all season, not just those with a few standout wins. This is quite different from usual jockey titles that just add up wins or cash prizes.
We still await venue announcements, but the group says they are talking with several top-class racecourses. Plans to race across multiple continents pose travel and setup problems, but could unite a sport that often splits into separate regional scenes with their own customs.
Future Racing Landscape
This new global jockeys’ league stands is among many efforts to update how races appeal to today’s fans. The focus on people (the jockeys) instead of horses or stables aims to tap into the star power that makes other sports leagues so popular.
For jockeys who join, the league adds new ways to compete beyond just normal race wins. Team brands and a full-season story arc let these athletes take more control of how fans see them and how their careers unfold.
As horse racing tries to find its spot in a packed sports market, this focus on jockeys tackles old problems of how to reach new fans and make the sport more accessible. Success will depend on how well they run the events and if fans respond, but the star quality of the riders points to real promise.
The global jockeys’ league will start in 2026, with race tracks and venues to be named in the next few months.
