Horse Racing

Kieran Shoemark Sacked as Gosden’s Stable Jockey

Andy Newton Sports Editor

Published07 May 2025

Disclosure

We publish independently audited content meeting strict editorial standards. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.

According to the Nick Luck Daily podcast, Kieran Shoemark has been sacked as number one rider by top Newmarket stable John and Thady Gosden.

Kieran Shoemark Sacked By Gosden Camp

As we head into the Chester May Festival this week, the John Gosden stable will be looking for a new number one rider – with news filtering out they’ve sacked Kieran Shoemark.

This is according to the Nick Luck Daily Podcast – who state Shoemark will part ways as the Gosden number one rider.

However, Shoemark still rode Queen Of Thieves (7th) for the yard in the Cheshire Oaks on Wednesday and is also engaged to ride Gosden’s Good Old Days in the 2:55pm at Ascot on Friday – with Thady Gosden saying they will still use him (watch below).

Read on to see all Kieran Shoemark’s rides.

🗣️ "Kieran is still riding with us and will continue to do so."

🗣️ "I guess, in the press, everything is dramatised to an extent."

Thady Gosden on Kieran Shoemark riding for the yard#ITVRacing | @MCYeeehaaa pic.twitter.com/Pxg5zHxWuN

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 7, 2025

Shoemark has come under the spotlight many times since taking over the reins from Frankie Dettori last season – but none more so than his recent ride on 2000 Guineas runner-up Field Of Gold at Newmarket last Saturday.

With the horse looking to be travelling the best with a few furlongs to go, Shoemark has since itted after the race that he was “too confident” at a crucial point of the race – which led to the horse being a fast-finishing second to Godolphin’s Ruling Court (watch below).

This ride seems to have been the last straw for the Gosden team.

Field Of Gold is expected to be aimed next at the Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday 24th May, with Irish rider Colin Keane likely to get the leg-up.

John Gosden told the Racing Post

“Nothing much is going to change. We are looking to use the best available from now on. We have eight jockeys that are retained to ride for owners connected with the yard and I haven’t had a retained jockey since William Buick.

“There is no fallout but it is the ramifications of what happened over the weekend. We’ll now use the best available. Kieran is riding for us in the Cheshire Oaks today and he’ll be riding for us in the Musidora at York next week.”

WATCH: Field Of Gold and Kieran Shoemark Finishing Second In The 2000 Guineas

Kieran Shoemark told ITV Racing

“He’s always a horse that’s quite quick from the gates, he has good early gate speed.

“I was just trying to restrain him slightly (through the early stages) and you can see Shane Foley (on Green Impact) has got the position I ideally would have liked. I could only have had two positions in this race and I opted for the one with cover.

He added “I could possibly have had William Buick’s as well but that would have meant being on the wing with no cover and we saw in the Lagardere last year when he was far too free with no cover. So the plan was always to try and find a bum to sit behind.

“I wasn’t too worried about the pace of the race because my horse is relaxed and I know how well he travels. I think if you’d asked who was the winner two and a half (furlongs) out I think everyone would have probably said me, I felt like I had all bases covered.

At this stage it’s not known who the Gosden team will turn after the Kieran Shoemark sacking – but stable stalwart Robert Havlin is expected to keep things ticking along in the meantime.

Kieran Shoemark Booked Rides This Midweek

Weds 7th May – 2:05 Ruby’s Profit at Chester Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing Handicap (Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole)
Weds 7th May – 2:35 Queen Of Thieves at Chester Weatherbys eport Cheshire Oaks (Listed Race) (Fillies) (John & Thady Gosden)
Thurs 8th May – 2:35 Mirabeau at Chester Boodles Raindance Dee Stakes (Listed Race) (Colts & Geldings) (Dominic Ffrench Davis)
Fri 9th May – 2:20 Sipi at Ascot Juddmonte British EBF Restricted Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (Bands B-D) (EBF Restricted Qual’) (Michael Bell)
Fri 9th May – 2:55 Good Old Days at Ascot Palmer & Co. Champagne Maiden Fillies’ Stakes (GBB Race) (John & Thady Gosden)
Fri 9th May – 3:25 Dorney Lake at Ascot Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Italy Handicap (Michael Bell)
Fri 9th May – 4:00 Up The Paceat Ascot Motivator 20th Derby Anniversary Handicap (Edward Smyth-Osbourne)
Fri 9th May – 4:35 Troy Story at Ascot Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Style Handicap (Alan King)

Could John Gosden Turn To Old Pal Frankie Dettori?

Kieran Shoemark Sacked as Gosden's Stable Jockey

With the news of the Kieran Shoemark sacking, many on social media are speculating on who might takeover – with a certain Frankie Dettori top of the list.

Dettori (54) was due to retire at the end of the 2023 season having had many successful spells with John Gosden – but he did a famous retirement U-turn to continue his career in the US – where he’s still riding.

Frankie Dettori also announced in March 2025 that he’d filed for bankruptcy after he was unable to reach an agreement with the HMRC over his financial situation.

In addition to veteran rider Robert Havlin, other jockeys the Gosden team have been using a lot this season are Luke Catton and Benoit De La Sayette.