DPJC, Fastorslow, N.T.F., Gingell & fleeces.

​The danger in pouring scorn on well-intentioned incentives is to appear a character as grouchy as the misrepresented Scrooge of Dickens fame. In wishing to honour David Power, founder of the bookmakers Paddy Power, I feel Flutter, which now incorporates Paddy Power within its umbrella of betting interests, could have given the matter more thought. 
Our top National Hunt jockeys are not liable for the poor house. It is reported in the Racing Post that our current champion Harry Cobden earned close to a quarter-of-a-million quid from his percentage of prize-money last season, and that does not take into account his riding fees and endorsements. He did not ask for, and does not financially need, a bonus of half-a-million quid, the prize for winning the David Power Jockeys Cup.
I understand that Flutters’ intention is to bring better public awareness of our leading jockeys but do we have to bribe them with riches beyond their imagination to get them to shake more hands, sign more autographs and pose for more selfies?
I have reflected on this issue since the announcement of this new championship last Friday and decided the huge investment in our sport by Flutter would have achieved greater acceptance by the majority – the jockeys love it, as you would expect. Though only those who might expect to be in the top ten come Aintree in April – if the million-plus allocated to the DPJC had gone in sponsorship of races at the bottom sphere of the sport, with David Power’s name and his achievements in life advertised on a daily basis. My suggestion would have benefitted owners, trainers, staff and jockeys from the top of the table to those whose careers are a journey around the country in second-hand cars rather than luxury cars often driven by a chauffeur. As I have said many times before, everyone who works in our sport deserves the opportunity to earn a fair living.

Derek O’Connor is as good a rider as any professional. He may be 40 now and facing the day when he must call close on his career as the most winning point-to-point rider in Irish history, yet he remains the go-to amateur when it comes to the restricted races at the Cheltenham Festival. I do though ask why connections of Fastorslow could not have a found a professional jockey to stand-in for the injured J.J.Slevin. No disrespect intended to O’Connor but Ireland is not short on good professional riders and the ride on Fastorslow might have given one of them a share of the limelight that would benefit their career trajectory. 

The National Trainers’ Federation have implored the B.H.A. to pull their fingers out and come up with an incentive for owners to have top chasers trained in this country. All they need do is look to Ireland. On most racecards in Ireland, at least the top racecourses, there is a conditions race of one sort or another and plenty of beginners and novice chasers. Willie Mullins does not pull his hair out as he peruses the racing calendar as not only is he not afraid to run two, three or four horses in one race but he also has many opportunities throughout the season to run his best horses. I urge the B.H.A. to listen to Nicky Henderson and stop thinking only of turnover and competitiveness, as important as those issues are.

Freddie Gingell goes from strength to strength. He is in good hands with Paul Nicholls and working alongside Harry Cobden. I just hope people do not fill his ears with suggestions he is the next A.P. McCoy or champion jockey in waiting. He is at present second-jockey to Cobden at Ditcheat, second jockey to the best jockey currently riding in this country. He might hold the position of second-jockey for a long time as I cannot see Cobden going to any other stable in the country, can you? Gingell is good, amazing value for his 3Ib claim but he is still very young and that first bad fall might only be around the corner. There is plenty of time available to him for it all to fall flat. I doubt it will. But let us just allow him to gain all the experience he can and will need to fulfil his undoubted potential.

I will tell you where Flutter’s one-million-quid would have better benefitted the sport – supplying fleece covers to our Northern racecourses. Carlisle is a popular racecourse not only with Northern trainers but those based in the south and Midlands also, yet the fixture today is at the mercy of the weather, as will all its meetings from now to the start of the flat. I do not know the price of fleeces, though I would imagine a million-quid would pay for many miles of the stuff. The name of David Power could be immortalised for many years to come if Carlisle, Kelso and Newcastle, say, were weather-proofed in his name.