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 - 2020 to 2024 - Townend 24 wins, Blackmore 14, de Boinville 9, Walsh (M) 7, Kennedy 6, Mullins (P) 5, Geraghty 5 (rtd).
Unsurprisingly Paul's week once again, 15 rides, six winners including Absurde, his only one in a handicap. All the reat were G1 favourites. In 2023 it was 17 rides, five winners and three seconds. This year up +4 on the five yr average. a 26% strike rate. Harry Skelton with four winners, one helluva week. Behind him was Rachael, Mark and the Doc, each with a brace. P Townend has gone from 16 to 18 to 20 to 24 over the last three years for the five yr spread. Nico stays steady on nine the stable not really represented. Jack comes back from another injury on Teahupoo. Had 20 rides, mind you, for one winner. Barry to remain on this list for til his 2020 hurrah. Mark Walsh another Festival where he has more seconds than winners. But JP finished top owner (again). PW Mullins also had another great Festival. Only Jasmin De Vaux in the bumper but it was his father's 100th Festival winner.
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 in the last two Festivals.
Best jockey performance at the momeno over the last five years is P Townend on 26%. JJ 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. The record is owned by Harry Brown. A 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 nine Festival winners.
Percentages wins to rides over the 5 yrs - Ruby finished on 25%, Townend 26% atm, Blackmore 18%, De Boiville, 17%.
All Time Jockeys Festival Wins - Walsh 59, Geraghty 43, Townend 34, McCoy 32, Taaffe 25, Russell 25, Johnson 23, Dunwoody 18, Swan 17, Winter 17. The only change here is that Paul Townend moves past AP. Rachael on 16, Nico on 15, Jack 11.
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 S Bowen 36 (yet to have one), JJ O'Neill 35, D Mullins 31, J Gainford 22, Charlie Deutsch 20.
It can happen. Edwardstone in the Arkle gave Tom Cannon his first Festival winner on his 49th attempt. Jonathan Burke's joy noted when Love Envoi got his first after 46 tries.
CONDITIONAL JOCKEYS - The record of Conditional Jockeys is addressed in each individual race