Jamie Lewis relishing apprentice title run-in

Ashley Lewis is taking inspiration from Billy Loughnane and advice from Ryan Moore in an attempt to reel in the current clubhouse leader Jack Callan over the final two months of the race to be champion apprentice.

The 18-year-old rider, who started out with Gary and Josh Moore last year and now rides for Ed Walker’s powerful Lambourn yard, has 11 to make up on Callan between now and the curtain falling on Champions Day on October 17.

Yet with Callan having ridden out his claim and with the resolute backing of Walker, who is keen to get his rider over the line, Lewis believes he could come with late rattle to emulate both Loughnane (2023) and Moore (2003) and become champion.

“Jack has just lost his claim which may slow him down a touch and because of that you never know,” said Lewis. “My boss Mr Walker has got a lot of power left to use and we are both trying to win it, but I have still got my 3lb claim.

“My main aim is to ride as many winners and have as many rides as possible in the best races and on the biggest days – that’s when you can really get noticed. If we can chase it (the title) down that would be amazing.”

Callan, who recently racked up his 100th career success, currently leads the standings on 40 wins for the championship period from Lewis who has 29 this term and 65 overall, but the latter will continue to claim 3lb until he has ridden 95 winners which could tilt the back end of the campaign in his favour.

Given Lewis’ first professional ride came only at the start of last season his experience has been building. Following a first season with the Moores, he spent a short spell Stateside with John Ennis at Keeneland in December and January and was snapped up by Walker on his return.

The stint in America delivered what Lewis says was an invaluable method with regard to pace judgement, an essential tool in any decent jockey’s armoury.

He explained: “They may say I want you to build (this piece of work) from 13 seconds a furlong to 12 then to 11 and at first you’re always just counting in your head and trying to work out how you were doing. But the more you do trackwork over there the more you start getting used to it.

“Coming back that has really helped me everywhere, but generally to have the confidence to know you are in a race where they are going hard up front and you know they should be stopping or in a slowly-run race where you know it’s going to be a sprint.”

Ballydoyle number one Moore is not only one of the greatest to ever grace the saddle, but also a useful sounding board for Lewis, particularly in his first year when he was with the three-time champion jockey’s father Gary and brother Josh in west Sussex.

“With Ryan I would ask as much as I could without annoying him,” said Lewis. “Best part of the track and how to ride it. He helped me the day I won on Small Fry at Epsom and he helped me previously at smaller tracks like Chelmsford. Is he a good teacher? He’s the best.”

Small Fry was Lewis’ breakthrough moment, coming 45 minutes after Lambourn had won the Derby on Epsom’s biggest day. A second major step came when Lewis steered Walker’s Northern Champion to win a Listed race at Chester.

He continued: “That was a very good day to get my first stakes winner. I had ridden for my boss on Ten Bob Tony in a Listed race at Haydock but to get it done as a 5lb claimer and obviously do it without my claim was good.”

Lewis knows Loughnane well having come up a couple of years behind him on the pony racing circuit and cites the rider as an inspiration as they chase the apprentice and champion jockey titles respectively through the final two months.

“I’ve known Billy a long time as we used to do pony racing together, but he has seemed to go up the ranks very quickly and keep on going when he turned professional,” said Lewis. “He is obviously winning all the big races now and you look forward to doing that as well one day.

“With two and a bit months still left who knows what will happen? What I do know is you can get on a run.”