William Buick Jockey – Rides, records, statistics, winners and earnings

Now a two-time champion jockey in Britain, William Buick will be desperate to reflect that status by getting on the Royal Ascot scoresheet this summer.

As top jockey for the powerful Godolphin operation and the main man at Charlie Appleby's yard in Newmarket, Buick should have ample opportunity to quench that desire at the five-day extravaganza on the famous Berkshire turf.

Who is William Buick?

William Buick was born in Norway in 1988, where his Scottish-born father, Walter, was Scandinavian champion jockey on eight occasions and his mother, Maria, was a dressage rider and showjumper.

Racing and horses were in his life from the get-go and the young Buick often used to ride out in the mornings before going to school – later suggesting he was "always late for school" as a result.

He had his father's blessing and it clearly didn't stop him getting a good education as he's fluent in Norwegian, Danish, English and German now.

He spent his summers riding out for the likes of Marcus Tregoning and Andrew Balding in his formative days and his first ride on Tiny Tim at Brighton in August 2006 for the latter.

He shared the champion apprentice jockey title in 2008 with David Probert and won the Lester Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year two years running in 2007 and 2008.

He has ridden for some of the biggest trainers in the game – including being retained rider for John Gosden and the top jockey for the Godolphin operation.

William Buick's major wins

Buick won his first Group 1 race, the E. P. Taylor Stakes in Woodbine, Canada, on Lahaleeb for trainer Mick Channon in October 2009 and, by the turn of the year, he was offered the job as stable jockey to Gosden at Clarehaven.

Dar Re Mi got him off on a good note winning the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan that spring and the partnership enjoyed further top-level success that year with Debussy in the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs in the US.

Come September 2010 and Buick was to sample his first taste of Classic success on British soil as Arctic Cosmos won the St Leger at Doncaster for the Gosden yard.

The partnership would repeat that success 12 months later as Masked Marvel scored on Town Moor in the final Classic of the season.

More major successes awaited, including the Yorkshire Oaks and the Irish Champion Stakes on The Fugue in 2014 before Buick took on his next big job.

In late 2014 it was announced that Buick had signed with Godolphin and would be riding the pick of the horses in the famous silks of Sheikh Mohammed from a wealth of top training yards.

Victory aboard Prince Bishop in the Dubai World Cup the following spring for Saeed bin Suroor was a near-perfect early statement from Buick at Godolphin's home carnival.

That summer he was second on Jack Hobbs in the Epsom Derby before winning the Irish version at the Curragh.

Plenty more success would come his way in the years that followed, including top miler Ribchester in the 2017 Lockinge at Newbury but it was in the summer of 2018 that Buick delivered the big one.

The Epsom Derby is the most sought-after Flat of them all for breeders and Godolphin badly craved a win in the premier Classic of the British season.

They'd come close but, heading into the 2018 renewal, it was a prize that remained elusive. Sent off at 16/1 having finished third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket as Saxon Warrior won for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore – the long-term rivals of Godolphin – Masar was given a smooth ride by Buick and they came home clear of Dee Ex Bee and Roaring Lion for a landmark win at Epsom.

William Buick's most famous horses/rides

A fascinating duel for the jockeys' title in 2021 went the way of Oisin Murphy after he and Buick battled all the way to Champions Day at Ascot but it was the latter that reigned supreme in 2022, powering clear and wrapping up an inevitable first championship with plenty to spare.

As well as the breakout Derby win, Buick has provided his retained owners with lots of top level successes, including his third St Leger on Hurricane Lane in 2021, Dewhurst wins at Newmarket with Pinatubo (2019) and Native Trail (2021) and the 2023 Lockinge at Newbury on Modern Games and the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2024 on Notable Speech.

He successfully defended the jockeys' championship in 2023 and is once more in flying form in the early stages of the 2024 campaign as he bids for a hat-trick.

William Buick's career earnings

While his exact career earnings are unknown, Buick's tally of more than 700 winners across the last five seasons in Britain have yielded more than £20m in prizemoney for connections.     

William Buick's other notable achievements

Buick has won major races in all parts of the world, including Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, America and the Middle East. He has won the Irish Derby twice at the Curragh, eight Breeders' Cup races in America and the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan a record five times.