David Probert
{{Short description|Welsh jockey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality
| name = David Probert
| image = David Probert 2009 (cropped).jpg
| caption = David Probert at Warwick Racecourse, 2009
| occupation = Jockey
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1988}}
| birth_place = Bargoed, Wales
| death_date =
| death_place =
| career wins =
| race =
| awards = British flat racing Champion Apprentice (2008)
All-weather champion jockey (2021/22)
Welsh flat racing jockey of the year (2022)
| honours =
| horses = Highland Knight, Dancing Star, Tip Two Win, Sandrine, King's Lynn
}}
David Probert (born 1988) is a Welsh jockey who was joint British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 2008 and all-weather champion jockey in 2021/22.
Early life
Probert was born in Bargoed, Wales, attended Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, a Welsh language school, and competed in pony racing around Wales. At sixteen, he attended the British Racing School in Newmarket.{{Cite web|date=6 June 2014|title=Horse Racing: Welsh jockey David Probert goes for Classic glory in the Epsom Derby 2014|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/horse-racing-welsh-jockey-david-7229287|work=WalesOnline}}
Riding career
After completing a course at the British Racing School, Probert went to work at the yard of trainer Andrew Balding at Kingsclere. As an apprentice jockey, he rode his first winner on 3 December 2007, when Mountain Pass won a race at Wolverhampton for Welsh trainer John Llewellyn.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/form-profiles/horse/85605/mountain-pass-usa|title=Mountain Pass (USA)|access-date=6 June 2025|work=Sky Sports}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/53012423|title=David Probert: Welsh jockey reaches 'dream' career milestone|date=11 June 2020|work=BBC Sport}} In 2008, he rode 50 winners and shared the British flat racing Champion Apprentice title with fellow Kingsclere apprentice William Buick.{{cite web|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/racing/buick-and-probert-share-champion-flat-apprentice-title-271833|title=Buick and Probert share champion Flat apprentice title|date=10 November 2008|work=Horse & Hound}}
In 2012, he won his first Group race, riding Highland Knight for Balding in the Group 2 Oettingen-Rennen in Baden-Baden, Germany. After the race, Probert said: "This must be the best horse I have ever ridden, he was terrific today and I never had a moment's worry."{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/andrew-balding-david-probert-germany-probert-calls-highland-knight-best-hes-ever-ridden-after-success/1105234/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150501002830/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/andrew-balding-david-probert-germany-probert-calls-highland-knight-best-hes-ever-ridden-after-success/1105234/%23newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-05-01|title=Probert calls Highland Knight best he's ever ridden after success|date=30 August 2012|work=Racing Post}} The following year, he picked up the Group 3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket on the same horse.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/jockey/86013/david-probert/stats|title=David Probert|access-date=6 June 2025|work=Racing Post}}
June 2014 saw Probert become the youngest Welshman to ride in the Derby, finishing eleventh on 50/1 outsider Impulsive Moment for Balding.{{cite web|url=https://www.attheraces.com/racecard/Epsom-Downs/07-June-2014/1600|title=Investec Derby|date=7 June 2014|work=At The Races}} The same month, he secured his first win at Royal Ascot, in the Britannia Stakes on the Balding-trained Born in Bombay Later in the year, he won the Oettingen-Rennen again for Balding on Here Comes When{{cite web|url=http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/germany-here-comes-when-strikes-for-balding/1714689/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNew|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904103335/http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/germany-here-comes-when-strikes-for-balding/1714689/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNew|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-09-04|title=Here Comes When strikes for Balding|date=3 September 2014|work=Racing Post}} He achieved his first century in 2014, ending the year on 107 winners.
In July 2016, Probert rode the three-year-old filly Dancing Star, trained by Balding, to win two heritage handicaps, one at Newmarket and then the Stewards Cup at Goodwood. Dancing Star was the first filly to win the Stewards' Cup since Lochsong, trained by Balding's father Ian Balding, in 1992. Dancing Star was a grand-daughter of Lochangel, a half-sister to Lochsong.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/report/736288/dancing-star-lands-stewards-punt |title=Qatar Stewards' Cup (Heritage Handicap)|date=30 July 2016|work=Sporting Life |archive-date=2016-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803131306/http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/report/736288/dancing-star-lands-stewards-punt |url-status=dead }}
Probert rode his 1,000th winner at Lingfield in June 2020. In April 2022 he was crowned all-weather champion jockey for the 2021/22 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/it-means-a-lot-david-probert-to-be-crowned-all-weather-champion-jockey-aBTVM8A2dgd6/|title='It means a lot' - David Probert to be crowned all-weather champion jockey|date=14 April 2022|work=Racing Post}} At the end of the 2022 flat season, during which he secured five Group 2 victories, he won the Welsh flat racing jockey of the year award.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffoslas-racecourse.co.uk/news/racing/all-the-winners-at-welsh-horse-racing-awards-2022|title=All The Winners At Welsh Horse Racing Awards 2022|date=4 November 2022|work=Ffos Las Racecourse}} He rode his 1,500th winner at Wolverhampton in November 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/video/33729/13013781/jockey-david-probert-delighted-to-ride-1-500th-winner-at-wolverhampton|title=Jockey David Probert delighted to ride 1,500th winner at Wolverhampton|date=22 November 2023|work=Sky Sports}}
As of June 2025, Probert had won 21 Group 2 and 3 races, in Great Britain, Germany, Qatar and Italy. He was yet to win a Group 1 race, the closest he had come being second place on 50/1 outsider Tip Two Win in the 2018 2000 Guineas Stakes and second place on 150/1 chance Hoo Ya Mal in the 2022 Epsom Derby.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/44017808 |title=2000 Guineas: Saxon Warrior wins at Newmarket for Aidan O'Brien |date=5 May 2018|work=BBC Sport }}{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/i-wouldnt-swap-him-david-probert-relishing-hoo-ya-mal-call-up-in-st-leger-aPvOx6V0jaDw/|title='I wouldn't swap him' - David Probert relishing Hoo Ya Mal call-up in St Leger|date=2 September 2022|work=Racing Post}}
References
{{reflist|2|refs=}}
http://www.geegeez.co.uk/a-chat-with-david-probert/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Probert, David}}