William Buick claimed his 2,000th British winner at Newmarket on Thursday when El Cordobes came home strongly to claim the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
In a race which featured some early drama which saw the market leader Ghostwriter withdrawn on veterinary advice, El Cordobes was sent off a 7/2 chance as he bid to give Buick his 2000th success in Britain.
Held up off the pace behind John and Thady Gosden's 13/8 favourite Palladium, Charlie Appleby's charge moved stealthily into contention and once angled out for a smooth passage, he stretched nicely clear to defeat the James Owen-trained three-year-old Wimbledon Hawkeye by two lengths.
"I haven't really been counting down, I thought I was further away than what I was and then it got to single figures and obviously then you realise," said Buick, who joins Joe Fanning, Jamie Spencer, Ryan Moore, Luke Morris, Jim Crowley, and Frankie Dettori as the latest active jockey to have ridden over 2,000 British winners.
"It's nice to do it at Newmarket. It means a lot and I suppose it tells me and everyone else that I've been doing this for quite a long time!
"There are some places to do it that aren't as glamorous as Newmarket's July meeting, no offence, so to do it here at my home track, for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, makes it all the more special.
"It wasn't by design, you can't design these things, but I'm very happy it happened the way it did.
"I'm lucky to have been champion jockey and I've ridden some fantastic horses for some fantastic people. I had a great time with John Gosden and now with Charlie and Godolphin, I've always been in a very privileged position and I'm grateful for all the support I've had over the years.
"It goes without saying that my family are my biggest supporters, so thank you to them and all the owners and trainers and stable staff and the great horses along the way.
"Hopefully it can continue."
The 36-year-old Norwegian-born jockey has been Appleby's number one rider since 2015. In that time, Buick has claimed four of the five British Classics, with the Oaks the only one to elude his illustrious CV.
A three-time winner of the St Leger Stakes thanks to victories from Arctic Cosmos, Masked Marvel and Hurricane Lane, Buick has won the last two winners of the 2000 Guineas courtesy of Notable Speech and Ruling Court, while Desert Flower ensured he also landed the 1000 Guineas this season.
Although the Oaks remains one to tick off the list, Charlie Appleby's number one joined the Epsom Derby honours list when guiding Masar to victory in 2018.
"You're always looking forward and always looking for the next one.
"There's still loads I haven't done and races I haven't won, the Oaks being one," said Buick.
Just thirty-five minutes later, Buick claimed winner 2,001 by guiding Crimson Rose to victory in the following British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes.
