JOCKEYS, A HELP OR A HINDRANCE & TOWCESTER.

The Racing Post is currently running a series titled 'The Fundementals of Betting'. As someone who is an irregularly bettor, and you can define irregular in my case as once a year, this series has not taken my interest, though for anyone who does bet frequently, I am sure there are tips that might prove useful. My advice is to pick a professional punter and stick with his guidance, otherwise you will go mad cherry-picking contrary advice from all the other 'experts'. 

Don't get me wrong. I would bet if I were wealthy enough to be able absorb thedoubtless losses. For me to bet, given the unhealthy state of my life-time savings, would be to put me in the category of gambler and I am too risk averse and too cowardly to go down that route.

Chris Cook in today's in stalment of the series highlights the expert's opinion on jockeys and whether their betting would be influenced by certain jockeys. A professional gambler would have all the current data in front of them, as well as current form and all the other metrics now applied to the otherwise simple exercise of picking a horse to risk your money on. If the result of your betting is whether you can pay your utility bills at the end of the month or not or whether your children could continue in private education, I am sure every minute of research and study is worthwhile but for the ordinary punter who bets as a hobby such exercises must suck the fun out of a daily flutter. 

Without wishing to give the game away, there is a divide within the experts quoted, with some putting great emphasis on jockey bookings, while others would hardly take into consideration the jockey on board. I am of the opinion that given a clear passage, any competent jockey could win any race if he or she were riding the best horse in the race. Obviously, there is a reason why Loughnane, Murphy and Ryan are at the top of the jockeys leader board, and why when there is a spare ride going in a Group 1 or classic William Buick is rarely sat in the weighing room. Yet I would argue they are where they are in the pecking order because they got the breaks early in their career, no doubt because of their natural talent, but all the same, some jockeys become late bloomers, as with Jason Hart and P.J. McDonald, and latterly the likes of Lewis Edmunds, never stellar as an apprentice yet improving as he gains experience on a better class of horse in a better class of race.

Over jumps, Rachel Blackmore couldn't get a break as an amateur and was in her late twenties before her talent was recognised, ending her career as one of greats of the sport. Although I would concede that some jockeys are stronger in a finish, with female riders possibly second-best to the best in a finish, I would argue that the female rider might win more races prior to the final 100-yeards because of their lightness of touch, and I would not be on my own to suggest that horses regularly ridden by females tend to race more genuinely, perhaps because they are less strenuous on their mounts in those final 100-yards. Though my last assertion does not apply to Holly Doyle who is nothing short of a force of nature in the saddle.

On the topic of Holly. She lost her retainer to Imad Alsagar to Oisin Murphy. Why, after winning Imad a classic and a host of Group 1's, he found fault with her is for him to explain. But I have to ask this question - has anyone seen an uptick in success for his horses since Oisin became his number one?

My advice is this: if a certain jockey is lucky for you, stick with him or her. I believe the simpler you keep your betting strategy, the more fun you will get out of it. Not necessarily success, of course, but I contend your win to loss ratio would be very similar to the professionals. They might win big more often than the average punter but they would back as many losers. Remember to win a small fortune at betting, you need to start with a much larger fortune.

After the awful news of yesterday, today we have the more cheery news that Towcester is about to rise from the ashes with 6-fixtures confirmed for 2027, starting on Wednesday October 20th, Towcester is unique in that it is half flat and half a hill-climb. It is a true stayers course, especially when wet. Three cheers for Towcester. Hip-hip hooray and so on.