TIMMY MURPHY
Timmy was asked immediately after the 2008 Grand National if he felt he had hit rock bottom in the past, to which he replied, “No, rock bottom is when you’re dead, I’m not”. 

With a well publicised and turbulent past, Timmy Murphy, 34, is one of the most widely recognized National Hunt jockeys of today.  Winning this year’s Grand National was undoubtedly the icing on the cake but for him it joins a plethora of other big race wins.  Timmy is one of life’s success stories, someone who has battled back against his own demons to become one of the top names in his chosen profession.  His story has been an inspiration to many, his focus is to keep winning.

Timmy's autobiography, 'Riding the Storm' is one of the most successful racing books every written, and has just being reprinted to include his Grand National win for 2008.

MICK FITZGERALD
Mick, 38, retired in August 208 after having ridden at the top level for 20 years and being the 5th most successful winning NH jockey of all time. He has been to the extreme highs of the game, winning the Grand National in 1996 and describing the experience as ‘better than sex’, to the extreme lows, notably in the same race in 2008 when falling at the second and sustaining a serious neck injury which forced him to call time on life in the saddle.

Mick notched up over 1250 wins in his career from his first winner on 'Lover's secret' at Ludlow in 1988 to a host of big race wins including the National, Gold Cup, King George V1 Chase and Queen Mother Champion Chase.

One of the most popular and eloquent jockeys in the weighing room, Mick is never at a loss for words and is now likely to be just as high profile on our screens as he embarks on his new career in the media.

Mick’s autobiography, ‘Better Than Sex’ will be released in November 2008 and is available from www.racingpost.co.uk, on Amazon and all good bookshops.

He lives with his wife, Chloe, and two young sons close to Lambourn.

SAM THOMAS
Described by Jilly Cooper as the ‘Brad Pitt of British Racing’ 23 year old Sam Thomas is undoubtedly the new star on the block of the National Hunt weighing room.

He won the almighty clash that was the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup on the peerless Denman (the ‘tank’) beating stable mate Kauto Star (the ‘extraterrestrial’) in the process and looks set to remain at the top of his game for years to come.

After leaving home to join the British Racing School at 16, Sam only rode his first winner in 2003 but has already stacked up some big race wins including the Hennessy, Tingle Creek, Betfair and Beecher Chases, all courtesy of the NH Champion trainer, Paul Nicholls, whom Sam rides as second jockey for.

Talented, bright, articulate and with those chiselled Hollywood looks,
we are set to see a lot more of Sam Thomas, both on and off the racing pages.

Sam currently lives in Cheltenham.

HAYLEY TURNER
Hayley Turner is Britain’s leading female professional flat jockey, one of a very few women to make it in a predominantly male orientated world.

Hayley had her first winner aged 17, was Champion Apprentice in 2005 and has knocked up almost 300 winners to date. At 25, bright, successful and good looking, Hayley is set to become Britain’s most successful female jockey ever and is riding more and more high profile horses to big race wins.

She is having her best ever season in 2008, is being hailed as amongst the top 10 UK jockeys and looks set to scale even greater heights.

Hayley lives near Newmarket with her two dogs, Jet and Holly.