Chloe takes win on 11/1 long shot

Talented young jockey Chloe Lyons reached another career milestone after bringing home a 11/1 outsider at Newmarket on Saturday week last. It was Chloe’s second win on British soil after another long shot, the 12/1 Grand Duchess Olga, was first past the post in Wolverhampton in April of last year.

Proud mother, Loren Crowley, said her daughter was delighted with her latest success: “This is another great achievement for Chloe.

“She started her racing career about six and a half years ago. She was a show jumper, riding ponies since she was five, but she went into the racing world and hasn’t looked back,” Loren said.

Ciaran Murphy and Dot Love of Charlestown Stud, Mullingar, laid the foundations: “Ciaran and Dot gave Chloe the start, and she’ll always be extremely grateful to them,” her mother said.

Chloe’s dad, Stephen Lyons, has also played a significant part by nurturing her love of the sport. Chloe moved to Britain in her late teens and progressed through stints with Mike Murphy and Michael Keady, followed by TJ Kent in Newmarket, before joining Julia and Shelley Birkett.

Loren said her daughter’s career has been a steady progression: “She took up that job with Julia and Shelley Birkett around November 2024, then got offered a position with Stuart Williams in February this year.

“She’s been with Stuart since February. She’s had a couple of rides for him, with a number of seconds and thirds. Last Saturday she was Cherry Cobbler in Newmarket, before the race she was 18/1 and that came back to 11/1 at post. She was an outsider, so obviously we were not expecting much, but she surprised us all by going on to win the race.”

Loren says her daughter is passionate about her vocation: “She loves it. When she was a child, her granddad, John Lyons, would be watching the race and she’d sit there and she’d watch the racing. At the time, she was pony riding and show jumping. That’s what she did until the age of 14.”

At that age Chloe took up a stable job: “Ciaran took her on. She later took out her first racing licence in Ireland. Ciaran gave her a couple of rides, then she went on to have a few rides for Johnny Murtagh.

“Ciaran Murphy was just amazing with her. He got her to correct and change her style from riding as a jumper to a racer, because it was a completely different way. She went from show jumping and cross country straight into racing. He gave her a fantastic starting opportunity.”

The latest win is something Loren hopes will start a trend: “She has worked hard to get where she is today. She is a grafter, so to get these wins is fantastic. Hopefully this will be the start of many more.”

Speaking to Racing TV after her win on Cherry Cobbler, Chloe said: “It’s incredible, this is my second winner now. Stuart is amazing. He is a proper apprentice trainer. He is a great mentor, and he really gets into how to make you a better rider. He was very tactical about today, very informative.”

Chloe said she has picked up life lessons along the way from her experience as a jockey: “Just keep going, I’ve been resilient. I’ve had setbacks, but I just love the sport, I love horses, I love racing. What gets me up in the morning is going in and riding my lots. It’s the love of it, I just couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

She spoke of her ambitions in racing: “I’m a proper grafter. Stewart sees that. He has given me so many opportunities already and I’m only there since February. I’ll just keep working hard and see where things go. I’ll just keep loving and enjoying the game, and making my family proud.

“My granddad worked in a stud in Mullingar. He adored racing. He is an absolute genius. I remember as a little girl, sitting and watching racing with him, that is where the love of it came from. To be making him proud is incredible.”