Cock O’ The North snub ‘a big kick in the teeth’ for northern racing, says Hart

Jason Hart says Great British Racing’s decision to step back from the Cock O’ The North title is “a big kick in the teeth” for northern racing.

Hart was crowned Cock O’ The North, the leading Flat jockey in the north of England and Scotland, for the second time at the end of the British Flat turf season, with around 90 winners. But he says Great British Racing (GBR) told Go Racing in Yorkshire, which has promoted the title all year, that it no longer wanted to be involved.

“Charlotte Russell at Go Racing in Yorkshire has been doing a good job of it all year, keeping everyone up to date on what’s happening,” he told Nick Luck. “Then, a couple of days before, Charlotte was informed that Great British Racing didn’t want anything to do with it. Which is a bit odd, really, given how old a tradition it is.”

‘Some proper good jockeys have won it’

For a northern jockey, Hart says the title means a lot. “There’s a hell of a lot of racing in the north of England and Scotland,” he said. “There’s some good names who’ve won it over the years, going back to Edward Hide, Kevin Darley, Joe Fanning, Paul Mulrennan and Danny Tudhope. Some proper good jockeys have won it. To have won it twice, I’m quite proud of it, to be honest.”

“There are top trainers in the south, but there are top trainers and top jockeys in the north as well,” he added. “For Great British Racing to turn around and say they no longer want to be part of it is a big kick in the teeth. It will continue.”

“For Great British Racing to turn around and say they no longer want to be part of it is a big kick in the teeth.”

Jason Hart

What GBR says

In a statement reported by the Racing Post, GBR said that after its Project Beacon research in 2025, its then leadership decided that, with a limited promotional budget, it could no longer support as many activities outside the core Jumps and Flat Championships. It said its support for the Cock O’ The North had been adapted but still includes paying for the winner’s cap and coverage on its social media channels.

A season of graft

Hart says his highlight was not one big winner but keeping his business going all year. “I’ve been lacking a horse at the top, top level,” he said. “For me, the ongoing support I’ve been able to maintain, keeping a number of owners and trainers happy and keeping the ball rolling, has been the highlight. When you’re lacking a good horse for those bigger meetings, you have to just keep your head down, keep grafting and hope one will come along.”