The UK and Ireland have many great jockeys and trainers, but it’s difficult to know where to begin when researching the top names in the business.

When it comes to the men behind the great horses, some of the trainers to keep an eye out for are:

• Mick Easterby: based in rural North Yorkshire, Easterby has been training horses for over 40 years now and is still going strong

• Ann Duffield: married to top jockey “Gentleman George”, Ann Duffield is based in Yorkshire where she breeds, and trains horses at her 50-acre ‘Sun Hill Farm’

• Luke Dace: used to be a jump jockey, but now Dace has turned his experienced hand to training from his stables in Sussex

In any race, the jockeys are just as important as the horses, and the partnership between rider and horse is one of subtle balance.

Choosing the right jockey for a horse is essential, and vice versa. Discover the best jockeys currently competing:

• Frankie Dettori (Italy): probably the most popular and most famous jockey around, Frankie’s charisma and talent have propelled him into worldwide fame

• Jamie Spencer (Ireland): used to be stable jockey for one of the world’s most respected trainers, Aidan O’Brien, and now a professional jockey in his own right

In one of the most astounding sporting performances to date, Dettori shocked audiences by winning all 7 races at Ascot in 1996. The result cleared out the bookies as he rode against odds of 1 - 25,092.

Young up and coming jockeys to watch out for include the National Hunt jockey Marc Nicolls, as well as David Howard who used to be the celebrated Martin Pipe’s conditional jockey.

36 year-old Seb Sanders is a top-class worldwide jockey who has consistently performed well on flat. After being crowned Champion Apprentice in 1995, he went on to win the French Oaks in 2006 for     Sir Mark Prescott.