Guide to Jockey Silks & Colours

Common Silk Patterns

Racing silks consist of three elements: the body (jacket), the sleeves, and the cap. Each element can feature different colours and patterns. The table below shows the most common patterns used in the body and sleeve designs, along with a description of how each pattern appears.

Registering Silks with Weatherbys

All racing colours in Britain must be registered through Weatherbys, the organisation that has administered the British horseracing industry since the 18th century. The registration process requires the owner to submit their desired colour combination, which is then checked against the existing database of registered colours to ensure uniqueness. No two owners can have identical or excessively similar colour combinations.

The registration costs approximately £75 for a five-year period. Owners can choose from 18 recognised colours including white, black, red, royal blue, light blue, dark blue, emerald green, light green, yellow, orange, purple, pink, maroon, brown, grey, beige, mauve, and cerise. These colours can be combined in virtually unlimited ways using the various pattern options for the body, sleeves, and cap, creating the distinctive and often striking designs seen on racecourses.

When an owner has multiple runners in the same race, the second horse's jockey wears the owner's colours with a different coloured cap to distinguish between the two. This is a practical necessity that ensures racegoers and stewards can identify individual runners, particularly in large-field handicaps where many horses may be closely grouped together during the race.

The History of Racing Silks

The tradition of wearing distinctive colours in horse racing dates back to 1762, when the Jockey Club passed a resolution requiring all owners to register their colours. Before this, identifying horses during a race was extremely difficult for spectators and officials alike. The original resolution listed just 17 registered colours for the founding members of the Jockey Club, with each set consisting of a simple single-colour jacket and cap.

Over the centuries, as the number of racehorse owners grew, the need for more complex colour combinations became apparent. Patterns such as hoops, stripes, and stars were introduced to create additional unique designs. By the Victorian era, racing colours had become a matter of great pride and prestige for owners, with some families maintaining the same colours for generations. The term "silks" derives from the original fabric used for the jackets, though modern racing colours are typically made from lightweight synthetic materials.

Famous Racing Colours

Several sets of racing colours have become iconic in British and Irish racing. Godolphin's royal blue silks, worn by jockeys riding for Sheikh Mohammed's global racing operation, are perhaps the most recognisable colours in world racing. The Aga Khan's green and red have been carried to victory in numerous Classics over more than a century. Juddmonte's distinctive green and pink silks, registered by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, have been associated with legendary horses including Frankel, the unbeaten champion rated the best Flat racehorse of all time.

In National Hunt racing, JP McManus's famous green and gold hoops are instantly identifiable to jump racing fans. McManus has run hundreds of horses over jumps, and his colours have been worn by champion jockeys including AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty, and Mark Walsh. Other notable silks include the Cheveley Park Stud's red, white, and blue, the Coolmore partners' blue and orange, and the maroon and white of Gigginstown House Stud.

Inheritance and Transfer of Colours

Racing colours can be passed down through families, preserving a legacy that may span multiple generations. When an owner passes away, their registered colours can be transferred to a family member who continues to race horses. This tradition has resulted in some sets of colours carrying decades or even centuries of racing history. The process of transferring colours is administered by Weatherbys and requires the new owner to be a registered racehorse owner in their own right.

If no family member wishes to continue racing under the inherited colours, the registration eventually lapses and the colour combination may become available for a new owner to register. However, some historically significant colours are treated with particular reverence by the racing community, and it would be considered poor form for a new owner to adopt colours that were closely associated with a legendary figure in the sport.

Corporate and Syndicate Colours

The growth of syndicate ownership and corporate involvement in racing has added a new dimension to jockey silks. Racing syndicates, where multiple individuals share ownership of a horse, register their own distinctive colours that represent the group rather than any individual member. Some syndicates have become major forces in the sport, and their colours are now well known to regular racegoers.

Corporate owners often design their silks to incorporate elements of their brand identity. This approach serves a dual purpose: it makes their horses easily identifiable on the course and at the same time promotes their brand to the television audience. The rules governing colour registration still apply, so corporate colours must be unique and distinct from existing registrations, but creative designers have found ways to incorporate branding elements within the constraints of the registration system.

Frequently Asked Questions