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Shepherd hunting Group One gold

Isle Of Jura and Callum Shepherd Isle Of Jura and Callum Shepherd
© Photo Healy Racing

Callum Shepherd wishes he could “bottle the feeling” of his greatest triumph to date aboard Isle Of Jura at Royal Ascot, as he strives for more moments to savour in 2025.

There was much delight for Shepherd in 2024 and after a season which also provided plenty of reminders about the perils of life as a jockey, he is raring to go with renewed ambition after returning to the saddle from injury recently.

It proved somewhat hard for the Brighton-born rider to shirk the limelight last year having excelled in the saddle, but he also found himself losing out in the annual pre-Derby jockey merry-go-round and successfully overturning an 18-day ban after feeling the wrath of the stewards in the autumn.

There were a few bumps and bruises along the way, too, but the 27-year-old rode the waves to post a career-best tally of winners and also find himself a man in demand when the TV cameras were rolling.

Simon and Ed Crisford and Harry Charlton are just two stables which came calling to acquire Shepherd’s services on key mounts during the summer, but central to his success was his burgeoning partnership with George Scott.

Isle Of Jura’s Hardwicke Stakes strike provided a Royal Ascot first for both the Newmarket-based trainer and jockey and cemented a relationship that also combined to plunder stakes contests with the likes of Seven Questions, Phantom Flight, Prydwen and Bay City Roller.

“It was a mad year, but one I look back at with a lot of satisfaction and fondness,” said Shepherd.

“In amongst what was a great year, there were some ups and downs for sure, but overall it was entirely a brilliant year.”

He went on: “Quality wise, last year was great and as well as Isle Of Jura, we had horses like Seven Questions, who won the Palace House. He was one of those horses who is just up to that level and it was really good to go and win a Group race with him.

“Prydwen was another George placed so well and for him to go over and win the German St Leger was great. These are horses that possibly, had they been in other hands, may not have done so well if they had gone a different route.

“They were bolstered by the big-hitters like Isle Of Jura and Bay City Roller, who proved himself an excellent prospect by what he did, and it was a year we largely got it right – and most importantly got it right when it mattered.”

The obvious standout in a scintillating summer came on the most regal stage of all when Isle Of Jura excelled in a Hardwicke Stakes stacked with top-class international talent.

Not only was the triumph vindication of Scott and Shepherd’s belief in their stable star, but an emotional success for the jockey only weeks after missing out on partnering Derby second Ambiente Friendly.

“For sure, Isle Of Jura winning at Royal Ascot was the highlight and it was the best day I’ve ever had in the saddle, it was just brilliant,” continued Shepherd.

“It came not long after losing out on a high-profile ride and it was on the back of Isle Of Jura giving us a great winter in Bahrain.

“He ran well but probably a little bit workmanlike at Goodwood, and for him to go and run so well at Ascot that day was special. Horses like Goliath were behind him that day and it was a remarkable performance.

“The goodwill towards myself and George was really lovely and we got a great reception and it was one of those moments you wish you could bottle the feeling when crossing the line and coming back to the winner’s enclosure, it was really special.

“Unfortunately, he had his injury that kept him out for the rest of the season, but his recovery is going well and he is on target for the new season.”

Reflecting on the decision from connections to give Robert Havlin the leg-up on impressive Lingfield Derby Trial winner Ambiente Friendly for his Epsom Classic tilt, a pragmatic Shepherd is keen to put the episode behind him.

“It felt like it was everything at the time, but looking back now, it has been and gone and it is what it is,” he explained.

“It’s not something I often think about now as it’s been and in the past. He’s an excellent horse and I really enjoyed getting to ride him, but he didn’t win a Derby, so it’s hard to look back at it with too much regret. In the end, maybe it wasn’t as big a deal as it seemed at the time.”

Shepherd also suffered his share of physical knocks, sporting bandages to hide battle scars when securing a memorable Ascot treble in the height of summer and having his quest for a first-ever century ended by a crushing fall at Kempton in October.

Fractures to two vertebrae and a collarbone sidelined Shepherd for the final three months of the year and left him stranded on 87 winners.

Shepherd said: “The most disappointing thing is I had nearly three months to ride 13 more winners to get to 100, which would have been pretty achievable, so it was disappointing not to get that done but hopefully I will do that this year.”

Reaching three figures is high up on the jockey’s wishlist for 2025, alongside a breakthrough Group One success, while there is optimism Bay City Roller could fulfil his Classic dream this term.

The son of New Bay excelled during his juvenile campaign, scooping the Champagne Stakes in the autumn, and is set to play a central role in both Shepherd and Scott’s early-season ambitions when returning with lofty targets in the spring.

“You never know and the plan is pretty open with him,” said Shepherd when asked about the colt’s Epsom claims.

“The French Guineas was of interest to George as an early-season target and if he was to look the right fit for the Derby, it is very much in the equation.

“He could very much be anything and he certainly looked like the type of horse to be better this year and we’re lucky to have him.

“Hopefully there will be more of the same and some big winners this year. It would be nice to get the 100 done and it would be nice to break the Group One duck. That would be top of the agenda and hopefully we have the right horses to give it a go.”