Sean Levey
{{Short description|Swazi jockey}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox horseracing personality
| name = Sean Levey
| image = Dramatic Sands, Hexagon & Always Fearless at Kempton Park.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption = Levey riding Always Fearless at Kempton Park for owners King Power Racing (blue/white silks){{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/1079/kempton-aw/2019-09-07/737209|title=Follow Sun Racing On Twitter Nursery Handicap|work=Racing Post|date=7 September 2019}}
| occupation = Jockey
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|03|07|df=y}}
| birth_place = Swaziland
| nationality =
| career winnings =
| career wins =
| race = 1000 Guineas Stakes (2018)
Sun Chariot Stakes (2019)
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (2019)
Falmouth Stakes (2021)
Prix Jean Romanet (2022)
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (2023)
| awards =
| honours =
| memorials =
| horses = Billesdon Brook, King of Change, Snow Lantern, Aristia
| website =
| module =
}}
{{Jockey colours named collapsible header
| name = 1000 Guineas (1) }}
{{Jockey colours row
| year = 2018
| image1 = File:Owner Pall Mall Partners.svg
| alt1 = Emerald green, yellow star, red sleeves and cap
| caption1 = Billesdon Brook
| image2 = File:Owner Mr John Dance.svg
| alt2 = White, maroon and purple striped sleeves
| caption2 = Laurens
| image3 = File:Owner Mr Derrick Smith.svg
| alt3 = Purple, white seams, striped sleeves, purple cap
| caption3 = Happily
}}
{{Jockey colours footer}}
Sean Levey (born 7 March, 1988){{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/sean-levey-among-those-celebrating/426530|title=Sean Levey among those celebrating|work=Racing Post|date=7 March 2020}} is a jockey who competes in flat racing and is based in Britain. He won the 2018 1000 Guineas on Billesdon Brook.
Early life
Levey was born in Swaziland (now Eswatini) to an Irish father, jockey and trainer Mick Levey, and a Swazi mother, Tini. In 2001 the family moved to County Tipperary, Ireland, where his parents worked at Ballydoyle for trainer Aidan O'Brien. Levey rode out for O'Brien and, together with his brother Declan, spent a year on the pony racing circuit.{{Cite web|url=https://theownerbreeder.com/features/levey-loving-life/|title=Levey loving life|work=Thoroughbred Owner Breeder|date=6 October 2017}}
Racing career
After competing in pony racing, Levey then spent six years as an apprentice jockey with O'Brien at Ballydoyle where he was given the chance to ride pacemakers in Group 1 races, including the Irish Classics and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France. By the time he left Ireland he had ridden 45 winners including a Group and three Listed victories, but had still not ridden out his claim, due to a lack of opportunities in handicaps.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/8912597.big-interview-sean-levey/|title=The Big Interview with Sean Levey|work=York Press|date=16 March 2011}}
In 2011 Levey moved to England, first to the stables of David O'Meara near York and then to the stables of Richard Hannon near Marlborough, Wiltshire, where he has remained.{{Cite web|url=https://www.attheraces.com/news/2016/May/13/sean-levey-feature-part-2|title=Sean Levey feature: Part 2|work=At The Races |date=13 May 2016}}
Levey had his first Derby ride in 2016 on Humphrey Bogart, on whom he had won the Lingfield Derby Trial in May. The pair achieved fifth place in the Derby.
{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/881378/humphrey-bogart/form|work=Racing Post|title=Humphrey Bogart race record and form|access-date=12 September 2023}} He won his first Group 1 race in May 2018, when he rode Richard Hannon-trained filly Billesdon Brook to victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. At 66-1 she was the longest priced winner in the history of the race. Levey said: "It feels great. I've been working a long time to get to this moment and I'm glad it's come. I didn't expect it today. I thought she deserved the chance to be here and run well but to win it the way she did, it wasn't one of my expectations."{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/06/billesdon-brook-1000-guineas-sean-levey-richard-hannon-horse-racing-tips|title=Billesdon Brook’s 1,000 Guineas win gives Sean Levey his biggest triumph|work=The Guardian|date=6 May 2018}}
In June 2018 Levey sustained a shoulder injury when he was unseated at Salisbury and, following surgery, was unable to ride for the rest of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/1000-guineas-winning-jockey-sean-levey-on-the-mend/343254|work=Racing Post|title=1,000 Guineas-winning jockey Sean Levey on the mend|date=21 August 2018}}
The 2019 season brought two more Group 1 victories for Levey. In October he won the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on board Billesdon Brook and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot with King of Change, on whom he had come second in the 2000 Guineas at odds of 66/1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/king-of-change-roars-home-to-land-queen-elizabeth-ii-stakes-under-sean-levey/404913|work=Racing Post|title=King Of Change sets the record straight with cosy QEII win|date=19 October 2019}} In November Levey had his first ride in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita in California, partnering Billesdon Brook in the Filly & Mare Turf. The four-year-old finished in eighth place behind Iridessa {{Cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/1441840/billesdon-brook/form|work=Racing Post|title=Billesdon Brook race record and form|access-date=12 September 2023}}
In 2021, Levey achieved another Group 1 success, winning the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket with Snow Lantern.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/racing/news/12426/12352463/snow-lantern-shines-to-win-falmouth-stakes-at-newmarket|title=Falmouth Stakes: Snow Lantern shines to win thriller at Newmarket beating Mother Earth and Alcohol Free|work=Sky Sports|date=9 July 2021}}
In 2022, Levey won his first Group 1 race in France partnering Aristia to victory in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/international/verry-elleegant-last-on-european-debut-as-aristia-lands-prix-jean-romanet-aSLeF2M26PQX/|title=Roberts and Hannon celebrate 'a day to remember' as Aristia grabs first Group 1|work=Racing Post|date=21 August 2022}}
In September 2022 Levey was in the lead in the Racing League but missed the final event and was overtaken by Saffie Osborne after a raceday saliva sample tested positive for amphetamine. When a laboratory test on a urine sample came back negative, the British Horseracing Authority cleared Levey of any wrongdoing and decided to suspend its pilot rapid saliva testing programme pending a review.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/62984157|title=Sean Levey: Jockey wants investigation after being cleared to return|date=21 September 2022|work=BBC Sport}}{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain/bha-clears-sean-levey-of-taking-prohibited-substance-after-non-negative-saliva-test-at-sandown-a60dG3M1wbKu/|title='I'm glad it's all over' - BHA clears Sean Levey of taking prohibited substance after 'non-negative' saliva test at Sandown|date=24 July 2023|work=Racing Post}}
Personal life
Levey's long-term partner is Toni Vaughan, who works for Retraining of Racehorses. The couple married in May 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingtv.com/news/shouldvebeenaring-an-early-wedding-gift-for-levey|title=Shouldvebeenaring an early wedding gift for Levey|work=Racing TV|date=5 May 2023}}
Major wins
{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
- 1000 Guineas Stakes - (1) - Billesdon Brook (2018)
- Sun Chariot Stakes - (1) - Billesdon Brook (2019)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - (1) - King of Change (2019)
- Falmouth Stakes - (1) - Snow Lantern (2021)
- St James's Palace Stakes - (1) - Rosallion (2024)
- St Leger - (1) - Jan Brueghel (2024)
{{flagicon|France}} France
- Prix Jean Romanet - (1) - Aristia (2022)
- Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère - (1) - Rosallion (2023)
{{flagicon|Ireland}} Ireland
- Irish 2,000 Guineas – (1) – Rosallion (2024)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levey, Sean}}
Category:Swazi expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in England