We look back at six of Joe Fanning’s biggest wins during a career that spanned five decades and produced 2947 Flat winners in Britain.
SHAMARDAL – 2004 Group 2 Vintage Stakes
Joe Fanning often rode a superstar early on in their career before seeing another jockey take over, or seeing them switch yards, and both of those scenarios came to pass with the great Shamardal. The son of Giant’s Causeway showed his brilliance straight away, winning his maiden by eight lengths under Fanning at Ayr on debut, before the pair teamed up again in the 2004 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, a meeting synonymous with the Mark Johnston yard. Again he made all in impressive fashion and that was the last time Fanning rode him in a race as Kevin Darley, Frankie Dettori and Kerrin McEvoy enjoyed Group 1 success on the horse as he transitioned to the Godolphin blue for Saeed bin Suroor, winning the French Guineas, French Derby and St James’s Palace Stakes the year Royal Ascot came to York.
VERY WISE – 2007 Lincoln Handicap
Fanning had a great record when he teamed up with William Haggas and the pair joined forces to win the Lincoln Handicap when it was staged on Newcastle’s turf course in 2007 with Very Wise. Fanning had struck up a relationship with the horse during the early months of 2007 on the all-weather, winning at Lingfield as well as going close at the same track, and a 5lb penalty he incurred there got him in the Lincoln where he was sent off 9/1. Fanning made a beeline for the front, a tactic that somewhat became a trademark, and made all for a length win up the stands’ rail. 'I didn't fancy him, but Joe gave him a great ride," says William Haggas in this video, below.
BOW CREEK – 2014 Group 2 Celebration Mile
The first time Fanning rode Bow Creek things didn’t go so well. He must’ve been looking forward to riding the son of Shamardal, for obvious reasons, in a York nursery, the juvenile having won easily on his previous start at Chester under Franny Norton. Sent off 3/1, he finished last, and he never did go back to York, but he blossomed as a three-year-old and particularly at the tail-end of his season. Fanning was back on board by Goodwood and while they could only manage third at the Glorious meeting, three weeks later the Celebration Mile was theirs despite Bow Creek hanging markedly to his left late on after making all. That he still managed to win easily was a sign of his class and the pair teamed up again three weeks later for another Group 2 in the Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown.
THE LAST LION – 2016 Group 1 Middle Park
For all Fanning recorded big numbers throughout his career he had to wait until his 46th birthday on September 24 2016 to record his first Group 1 winner on The Last Lion in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. A lightning quick son of Aussie speedster Choisir, The Last Lion went into the Rowley Mile Group 1 with nine runs as a juvenile under his belt but the exposed nature of his profile meant he was sent off 25/1. No matter, Fanning sent him to the front the moment the gates opened and they never saw another rival as they made all, three-quarters of a length separating the winner and Blue Point, with over two lengths more between the runner-up and Mehmas in third.
SUBJECTIVIST – 2021 Group 1 Gold Cup
If The Last Lion was just reward for the loyalty Fanning had shown the Johnston yard over the years then better was still to come on that score. For in 2020-21 along came Subjectivist and while Fanning was well used to making way for other jockeys, this time the boot was on the other foot, of sorts. Certainly, six jockeys rode Subjectivist in his first nine races, and Fanning wasn’t one of them, but it was 10th time lucky on that score and once he got on him a partnership was born. They won first time together at Hamilton, won five from 11 all told and the undoubted highlight came in the Gold Cup at Ascot on 17 June 2021. If you had to pick just one Fanning ride from his career you’d pick this one, his finest hour, judging the pace to perfection and kicking on from the front to win by five lengths, the odds-on Stradivarius trailing home in fourth.
SIGNIFICANTLY – 2023 Ayr Gold Cup
There was more big-race success for Fanning after Significantly. The Gatekeeper made all to win the Balmoral for Charlie Johnston, while Francophone collected a couple of Listed races. But the 2023 Ayr Gold Cup sticks out for some reason. Perhaps it was because it was his first Ayr Gold Cup which seemed remarkable. But mainly it was because of the nature of the victory, a truly last-gasp success after being covered up and repeatedly not getting a run deep into the contest. Once in the clear they flew home to win by a neck in a frantic finish, horse and jockey making amends for narrowly being beaten in the Portland at Doncaster just the week before.
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