Tom Segal - Racing Post 2020 - The Secrets Of Pricewise
'...a factor I have been banging the drum on for about 30 years now - and still I'm amazed to hear punters say they don't consider it an important factor - is jockeys. It's as if many punters think horseracing is like motor racing in that if you put any reasonably competent driver in a Mercedes or a Ferrari they would be at the front.
But horseracing is a totally different kettle of fish, where it's extremely difficult to get any horse from A to B in the quickest possible way. Of course the.. (top jockeys).. make mistakes but the vast majority of the time their mounts are in the right place, they don't go for home too soon, and they very rarely find trouble in running.'
TOP FESTIVAL JOCKEYS - 2019 to 2023 - Townend 20 wins, Blackmore 14, de Boinville 9, Walsh (M) 7, Geraghty 7 (rtd), Kennedy (inj) 5, Mullins (P) 4.
Unsurprisingly Paul's week once again, 17 rides, five winners and three seconds. Harry Cobden, Rachael and Michael O'Sullivan behind him with a brace each. Young O'Sullivan wins a Supreme as a three pound claimer who couldn't claim and doubles up on the Tuesday with Jazzy Matty in the Boodles. Rachael lifts Honeysuckle home in her last race. A pleasure to have been around the parade ring for that golden hour. Rachael also a fine ride on Envoi Allen in the Ryanair, a wonderful time since she landied the novice handicap chase in 2019 with A Plus Tard. Johnny Gleason takes the bumper for JP McManus and John Kiely. And his family. Great scenes. Davy Russell returned from retirement to help Gordon as Jack Kennedy was injured. Eight places in 16 rides, three seconds, the same as in 2022. Closest on probably Pied Piper in the County. P Townend has gone from 16 to 18 to 20 over the last two years for the five yr spread if you understand what I mean. Nico stays steady on nine. Jack loses a bit of ground due to injury. Barry was injured in 2018 so he will remain on this list for another year. Mark Walsh will probably look back with a little disapointment having had only onr winner. Short priced disappointments with Terao and Corbetts Cross, JP finished top owner. Some ride on Sire De Berlais, mind you. Mr PW Mullins also had another great Festival on the back of 2022. Won on Galliard Du Mesnil and had another seven places from a total of 13 rides. Patrick still in front of Jamie on the five yr amateur private battle, 4 winners to 3.
Davy Russell had at least one winner every Festival between 2006 and 2018. Some going. Barry in 2020 and Ruby in 2009 are the only two to have won a race on all four days. Ruby had a winner at every Festival from 2002 to 2019. Apart from 2017, when injured, Barry rode a winner at every Cheltenham Festival since 2001. Five winners from 11 rides in 2020. Saint Roi in the County his last ever Festival ride. Impressive. P Townend no winner on the Thursday last year.
Level stakes £1 per Festival ride over the last five years - (those with more than one winner) N De Boinville +£35 M Walsh +£30, J Kennedy +£27, R Blackmore +£16, JJ Codd +£15, P Townend - £5 By my calculations, backing the top jockeys blind would seem a way to go?
Best jockey performance at the momeno over the last five years is JJ Codd 3 from 16. That's not bad. Codd's ten festival winners is the post-war record for an amateur, beating Jim Wilson's score of seven including the Gold Cup on Little Owl, and he is now in pursuit of Harry Brown's 14-winner all-time record which was achieved between 1911 and 1928. Harry was actually crowned champion jockey in Britain in 1919 against the pros. Delargy must have told me this. Patrick Mullins has ridden eight Festival winners.
Percentages wins to rides over the 5 yrs - Ruby finished on 25%, Townend 21% atm, Blackmore 19%, De Boiville, Codd 17%.
Currently best all course meetings strike rate recently is P Townend, now 20 winners from his last 80 rides (25%). Capadanno and Lossiemouth on Trials Day helped that. Sam Twiston Davies has ridden 21winners from 186 course rides over the last 5 seasons, Harry Cobden has 18 from 183. Jack Quinlan 2 from 9 this season. Those with recent difficulty on course include Stan Sheppard none from 41 over a seven year period. RexDingle also 0 from 20.
All Time Jockeys Festival Wins - Walsh 59, Geraghty 43, McCoy 32, Townend 28, Taaffe 25, Russell 25, Johnson 23, Dunwoody 18, Swan 17, Winter 17. The only change here is that Paul Townend moves up three places. AP in his sights. Nico on 15, Rachael 14, Jack 10.
Jockeys' Festival Rides Cold List - Aidan Coleman, when coming off this list with Paisley Park's Stayers in 2019 said. 'Didn't think this was such a big deal, until it happened.' This sometimes does mirror stable form. For want of a better word then, the current 'leaders' in this category are P Brennan 82 (last winner 2010 Grand Annual, two very decent seconds in 2022 with Alaphilippe and Imperial Alcazar, Crambo, Dysart Enos), Sam Twiston-Davies (The Real Whacker) H Cobden (Stage Star) and H Skelton (Langer Dan) pleased to get off losing Fetival runs at least in the 40s. Current other leading jockeys certainly on a bit of a trot are, S Bowen 32, D Jacob 28. JJ O'Neill 27.
It can happen. Edwardstone in the Arkle gave Tom O'Brien his first Festival winner on his 49th attempt. Jonathan Burke's joy noted when Love Envoi got his first after 46 tries.
As I write Paddy Brennan is riding at 22% all this season. Darryl Jacob steered Concertista to success in the 2020 Mares Novice, his first ever success when in 'double green'. Some have said, there is no better steererer of a horse but to me. he has been a different jockey since Concertista. Danny Mullins has been flying since Flooring Porter. look at the DRF for him. As Aidan said.. some say it just takes one...
CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS - The record of Conditional Jockeys is addressed in each individual race