Oisin Murphy, who was the top jockey at Royal Ascot for the first time last season, will be on the other side of the running rail when the most prestigious Flat meeting of the season opens on Tuesday, but even in his absence the race to claim the prize for the leading rider looks unusually open this year.
The last Royal meeting with a full crowd in attendance, in 2019, had six races each day but the post‑Covid schedule is up to seven, races over the five days, so this year’s top jockey is likely to need at least the five winners Murphy partnered in 2021 to claim the prize.
