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You can win the Lincoln – but it will count for zilch in the race for the jockeys championship.
Changes to the way the title is officially recognised mean that only winners between 2 May and Oct 17 will count (coinciding with Guineas festival and Champions day so will change each year I guess).
It is a move that seems to have been welcomed in the weighing room although a pretty wide-ranging reward scheme (see below) will have no doubt influenced that. Interesting that the the ‘Leading jockey’ with most wins through the calendar year will still be recognised (to the tune of £10k) so the jockeys are effectively getting their cake and eating it.
Paul Struthers (Jockeys Association Chief) “Hopefully the less attritional nature of the Championship, combined with the new rewards, will ensure that more of the leading jockeys actively compete for the title, whilst the overall Championship package will ensure a wider group of jockeys are also rewarded.”
So, we now have a ‘Leading Jockey’ who might be the same as, or different to, the ‘Champion jockey’ run over two different time periods but, effectively, rewarding the same thing.
There is also a ‘Champion Trainer’ category which will be run over a different time period (9 Nov 2014 to 7 Nov 2015) than either of the two jockeys’s championships.
Confused….you will be.
Clearly it is an attempt to better milk the marketing potential of a jockey’s head-to-head involving the leading protagonists while avoiding the sort of thing that happened last year when Ryan Moore effectively ruled himself out. They keep making references to F1 where the driver’s championship is obviously a pivotal part of the appeal and marketing potential. And nothing wrong with that, personalities do sell and racing needs to do all the selling it can.
But, it all looks a bit unwieldy, with different time periods for different categories and I fear it may end up in a mish-mash, although, from official sources at least, I suspect we’ll hear only about the Champion Jockey category and if they manage to do that, while assuaging the ‘Leading Jockey’ with a £10k pay-off, then it may just work for them.
How long, though, before the ‘Champion Jockey’ title for the season is awarded solely for wins on Champions Day though? They are flipping obsessed with Champions Day!
· Champion Jockey*: £25,000
· Runner-up*: £10,000
· Champion Apprentice*: £5,000
· Leading jockey (most wins throughout the full calendar year): £15,000
· All-weather Championship: £10,000
· PJA Welfare scheme: £25,000
· £2,000 cash prize for Jockey of the Month, in association with Channel 4* (GB turf and all-weather wins between 2 May and 17 October 2015)
A load of bollox. As has always been the case Paul Struthers, either when he was at the BHA or now the PJA never has an opinion of his own. He just says what his paymasters want him to say.
They have just be sweetened by a few quid for a few jockeys but what incentive will there be for the top jockeys to ride at the minor meetings and thus attract crowds there?
Of course the lesser jockeys will benefit from this by getting more rides at minor meetings when the top boys are missing (Big Deal) but overall racing shooting itself in the foot again.
Much ado about nothing. How many people actually go racing to watch jockeys? Cringe whenever McCririck trots out the argument when a ‘big name’ gets a suspension. They add next to nothing to the gate.
I doubt the general public even knows when the championship runs from/to. And what of jockeys who also clock up a lot of wins outside this period – it’s just not supposed to count? That’s plain ridiculous. It could be that all those wins outside the stated period could make the difference in who wins the championship.
Mark Johnston certainly isn’t a fan of the idea:
Bunch of idiots
This will not make a single jot of difference to Ryan Moore to engage …he will as always target the top races around the world ….I am pretty certain he views the Jockeys Champ as an irrelevance
Really glad I am tuning out of the flat season , its becoming more farcical by the day
Finding it really hard to care, tbh.
I am sure that’s my fault and no one else’s. :)
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"As has always been the case Paul Struthers, either when he was at the BHA or now the PJA never has an opinion of his own. He just says what his paymasters want him to say.
I stand to be corrected but surely it’s the job of a spokesman to say what his paymasters want him to say rather than his own views. Wouldn’t last long in the job if he did otherwise.
Personally I find it all a bit silly. Bit like having the gold medal for the 10,000m decided by who runs fastest between the 1000m and 9000m marks. Or a football match decided by who scores most goals between 10m and 80m.
1. I have heard that so many other sports think this is such a brilliant idea, especially in terms of marketing and sponsorship, that they are making their own plans to amend how their championships are won;
Formula 1: The results of the first two, and the last two, Grand Prix of the season will no longer count.
Premiership football: The results of the first four, and the last four, matches in the season will no longer count.
Six Nations Rugby: The results of any matches taking place in the cold and wet will no longer count.
Etc.2. We could just ignore this statement. If racing people, forums, blogs and newspapers want to have one jockeys championship that starts and ends when the turf season does, and another championship for the flat during the all-weather only season, then that is what they can choose to have. Just because these Three Letter Acronym organisations (GBR??) want it to be like that, we do not have to accept it. We are free!
3. I love the audacity that the benefits and and drawbacks of any decision should no longer be assessed by analysis, but purely by the assertions of “people in charge”. A touch of “emperor’s new clothes” there. I also notice that the trainers championship runs between different dates.
4. Why does Paul Struthers hope that it will be less attritional? I thought championships involving many competitors were always decided by attrition. They all start on an equal footing then they gradually fall away till only one can, and does, win it. We want attrition, don’t we?
If English racing really wants to be a leader, the BHA should move towards the primary school sports day model and scrap announcing a winner at all, it disturbs the frail ego of the other participants who might therefore be thought of as losers.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>yeats wrote:</div>
As has always been the case Paul Struthers, either when he was at the BHA or now the PJA never has an opinion of his own. He just says what his paymasters want him to say.I stand to be corrected but surely it’s the job of a spokesman to say what his paymasters want him to say rather than his own views. Wouldn’t last long in the job if he did otherwise.
Personally I find it all a bit silly. Bit like having the gold medal for the 10,000m decided by who runs fastest between the 1000m and 9000m marks. Or a football match decided by who scores most goals between 10m and 80m.
Just pointing out his opinion is worthless as he freely admits on his twitter account. Contrastingly when he was at BHA he stated his views were his own and nothing to do with the BHA.
Just go back to the whip issue, having got sacked from the BHA and signed up by the PJA he did a complete U turn on the matter. He has no opinion of his own. “Less attritional” – What a load of crap. Jump jockeys apparently don’t need to have it less attritional.
The jockeys have been bought for a few bars of soap. I roughly agree with Mark Johnston but would he have the same opinion if Qatar Racing had horses with him? I would hope so.
I must admit that although I care little about the flat jockey’s championship, I do find myself thinking…”crumbs, is that still going on?” because they’re rabbiting on about it for weeks and weeks and it never seems to end.
I'd like to live in a place where they cordon off swans...
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