DAVID EGAN looks set to be crowned champion apprentice of Britain today.

The 18-year-old, son of jockey John Egan and former trainer Sandra Hughes, was three winners clear of nearest rival Kieran Shoemark heading into yesterday evening’s Newcastle meeting. Both jockeys ride at Catterick this afternoon but tonight’s Wolverhampton fixture is not part of the truncated season which now decides the flat championships.

Egan has so far recorded 53 winners from 442 rides and aims to follow in the footsteps of other recent Irish winners Oisin Murphy (2014) and Martin Harley (2011).

In contrast, the race to be senior champion jockey is non-existent with Silvestre De Sousa holding an unassailable lead. The Brazilian, who arrived in Dermot Weld’s stable without a word of English aged 22 all of 14 years ago, is set to be champion jockey for a second time in three seasons.

As well as attempting to equal and break Bobby Frankel’s record of Group/Grade 1 wins, Aidan O’Brien will also be awarded his sixth British trainers’ championship at Ascot today.

The competition runs from January 1st to December 31st but, with O’Brien nearly £3 million clear of his nearest pursuer John Gosden, the National Trainers’ Federation has requested the presentation be made today.

The trainer is represented in five Group 1 races today, one this morning at Caulfield in Australia and then in all four top-level races at Ascot. Johannes Vermeer could be the trainer’s best chance of a Group 1 winner on the day as he is favourite (around 3/1) to win the Caulfield Cup.

At Ascot O’Brien has a reasonable chance in all four top-level races, with Churchill (4/1) perhaps his best individual chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.