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I’ve not seen the article
but saw the other day that he had landed the number one job for Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum. Great reward for the many hours put into winning the Jockeys Championship on many, many rides that amounted to very little prize money. Now Jim will be riding and/or having more opportunity’s in the big group races and competing at the top table for the better prize money whilst holding a retainers contract.
Two fingers up to all those who said the Jockeys Championship is a waste of time and meaningless…..
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I’ve not seen the article
but saw the other day that he had landed the number one job for Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum. Great reward for the many hours put into winning the Jockeys Championship on many, many rides that amounted to very little prize money. Now Jim will be riding and/or having more opportunity’s in the big group races and competing at the top table for the better prize money whilst holding a retainers contract.
Two fingers up to all those who said the Jockeys Championship is a waste of time and meaningless…..Struggling to see how this sticks two fingers at the critics?
You could have said exactly the same about Hanagan. Now he has lost a job that Richard Hills appeared to have for a lifetime.
Some great names have won the Jockey’s Championship but recently it has become a case of who is the most bothered to try and win it. They may as well draw lots in the weighing room.
Because it shows that those that are most bothered and put in the effort can get rewarded
I wonder if Crowley had said “nah, I’m not going for the title, I’m happy as things are” if he would have been offered the job….?Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Come off it Nathan, 99.9% of punters couldn’t give a monkey’s about the jockeys championship. Ryan Moore gives it the respect it deserves.
You could ask the question why Jim hasn’t made a similar effort in previous seasons.
I think the key to all this is probably his agent who seems to be a bit of a kingmaker!!
Didn’t he back Jim to win it at big prices, a bit like when Mouse Roberts won it. A bit of an encouragement to the pair of them.
Would that sort of inside info betting be allowed in other countries like Australia & Hong Kong? Yet it is actively encouraged and condoned here. James Macdonald is in for a hefty ban for inside info betting in Australia.
Depends on the rules.
Personally I don’t think it should be allowed
Trainers should not be allowed to bet either because they are not allowed to lay their own horse but nothing to stop them running their horses half fit until bet day and then with the horse spot on.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Because it shows that those that are most bothered and put in the effort can get rewarded
I wonder if Crowley had said “nah, I’m not going for the title, I’m happy as things are” if he would have been offered the job….?Yeah, but bar Ryan Moore (even if he was not mostly ridding in Ireland now – well, the big ones) they are concentrating on the bigger races. Crowley himself pointed out that he missed out on some of the festivals (something like Goodwood, he and SDS would normally be expected to ride more than 2-4 races) in order to chase the title. If Godolphin had pushed either Buick or Doyle , either of them had enough arsenal under Godolphin to win it. Still for James Doyle, who did not have a whole lot to shout about publicly say, in August , that he had no intention of chasing the title (when he was not very far off SDS) sounded a tad bit arrogant.At that point his best chances of big wins with Godolphin were gone. Still he is off to sunny Australia now
You are right though, ever with the shortened season, some jockeys who really should not be too choosy, declaring no interest in the title, is a tad bit arrogant. It unfairly devalues the efforts of both Crowley and SDS in a way – you got lads in the weighting room going “ah Jim is a good lad, Happy for him” but then thinking that if he or the others got really serious, they would have a better shot than SDS or Jim. If If if
Didn’t he back Jim to win it at big prices, a bit like when Mouse Roberts won it. A bit of an encouragement to the pair of them.
Would that sort of inside info betting be allowed in other countries like Australia & Hong Kong? Yet it is actively encouraged and condoned here. James Macdonald is in for a hefty ban for inside info betting in Australia.
He backed himself and his horse to win, didn’t he? Bit harsh not the same as trying to stop horses.
Jim knew that he would need to sway the bigger meetings and better prize money this year and it’s paid off for him with this new role.
One season of sacrifice day in day out and now he gets a percentage of prize money out in Dubai.
I wouldn’t care a jot what the punters thought of the jockeys championship.
Didn’t he back Jim to win it at big prices, a bit like when Mouse Roberts won it. A bit of an encouragement to the pair of them.
Would that sort of inside info betting be allowed in other countries like Australia & Hong Kong? Yet it is actively encouraged and condoned here. James Macdonald is in for a hefty ban for inside info betting in Australia.
Didn’t James McDonald bet on the horse he was riding to win?
And it won?
It takes a good jockey to win the “Championship”, not necessarily an outstanding one. There are many “good” jockeys around and not many outstanding ones. Ryan Moore, Frankie Dettori and Sylvestre De Sousa my three against the field. Moore already has the best riding job in the World and giving the job to either of the other two would put the owner’s brother’s nose out of joint – and that’s not allowed. Shame, because SDS imo suits the way Sheikh Hamdan prefers his horses to be run.
…So who else is there? Atzeni already has a good job and so does Murphy. Doyle would’ve been a possiility but although Bin Surror doesn’t seem to want him, seems Godolphin still have use of James. Then there’s Morris and Kirby who’re imo of similar stature to Crowley. Spencer is too much of a hold-up jockey. If it wasn’t for Aussie James McDonald’s gambling problems he’d be a good one. George Baker’s very under-rated, but he wouldn’t be able to do lower weights.
Sheikh Hamdan seems to believe the Championship means something, but not sure he truly believes in it. Doesn’t have the quality bloodstock he did in Willie Carson’s day. Now has a limited number of jockeys to pick from. Previous incumbents Hanagan and Hills aren’t/weren’t top class either.
Value Is EverythingDidn’t he back Jim to win it at big prices, a bit like when Mouse Roberts won it. A bit of an encouragement to the pair of them.
Would that sort of inside info betting be allowed in other countries like Australia & Hong Kong? Yet it is actively encouraged and condoned here. James Macdonald is in for a hefty ban for inside info betting in Australia.
Didn’t James McDonald bet on the horse he was riding to win?
And it won?
Yes but it’s not allowed is it? Exactly the same here, even for the jockeys championship but it’s okay for the jockeys agent to back him at 66/1 or whatever it was when his true chance was obviously many times less than that.
Most punters backing 66/1 chances are getting well under the odds.Who wouldn’t back him at that price if you knew the two of them were going to pull out all the stops? It’s all okay though because all the winnings obviously went to the agent and none to Jim. Nevermind it’s just other punters not in the know who have pay the bill. It’s shameful that the BHA do absolutely nothing about it.
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