DPJC

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 2, 2005
Messages
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I hadn't heard of this until yesterday.

Now I read this morning that Harry Cobden says he'd rather win it than the jockey's championship.

Sean Bowen is less committal but I imagine Skelton will go for it.

I wonder if this will shape ITV racing going forward. I reckon it will influence my thinking a fair bit, seeing what the jockeys end up riding in these races compared to what I might have expected them to ride.

Could it actually be good for us punters in that respect?
 
They talked a lot about it on ITV yesterday. Can’t say I paid much attention but it adds some further interest to the racing on telly.

Think there’ll be few surprises when jocks ride for their main stable but there may be when they take outside rides.

I’m sure Cobden isn’t the only one who would prefer a half million quid to the jockey’s title 😀
 
This thing could set up serious tension between jockeys, trainers and owners about which races to target. Harry Cobden is suggesting in an aside that Paul Nicholls will want half the prize money if he (Cobden) manages to win it, and the owners group is protesting that there is nothing in it for them either.
 
Grey said:
This thing could set up serious tension between jockeys, trainers and owners about which races to target. Harry Cobden is suggesting in an aside that Paul Nicholls will want half the prize money if he (Cobden) manages to win it, and the owners group is protesting that there is nothing in it for them either.
Click to expand...
How greedy is Nicholls.
 
I would genuinely hope Cobden's remark about Nicholls was tongue in cheek. I imagine there might have been words between them after that interview even if it was because it isn't very complimentary towards the man who has shaped his career.

Maybe their working relationship is such that they can slag each other off, but in public?

My brothers and I rip it out of each other on a regular basis but we'd never do it within earshot of people who might not get the humour.

The grasping, grabbing nature of our sport is down to its being run by grasping, grabbing bookmakers.
 
Agreed, DO, but whether he meant to or not, Cobden has made an important point. This big money makes a fundamental change to earnings and relatives shares of prize money between jockeys, trainers and owners.
 
Would another side to the argument be that if certain jockeys are now actively asking their agents to target these ITV races - which tend to be the more valuable ones anyway - the owners of the winners of those races would be getting that better prize money?

I can still see it causing friction where jockeys are asking to be released from their otherwise retained rides to get on something their agent has been tasked with securing their services for.
 
Harry Cobden’s prize money share last season came to around 250k, excluding riding fees. If he wins this new prize those earnings would roughly treble, while his trainer’s would come nowhere near.

I can see why that could create friction. How might the Skelton brothers be expected to handle it, or jockeys riding mainly for a parent?
 
I thought Nicholls targeted the televised meeting already.
They should put the £250,000 into helping the other jockeys not giving it to one of the top ones who don't need it.
 
DPJC is the David Power Jockey's Cup, a heavily cash-incentivised competition relating to ITV races. The winner gets £500k.
 
A hopefully well received suggestion.

When discussing races, horses, jockeys, trainers or any associated terms that we use proper nouns? Only takes an extra second or two and it's hard to work out the meaning sometimes.

(For instance, I read a SM* post earlier: 'ND would love BJ in HOC' I came over all queasy when I interpreted this as 'Nickers Down would love Bl** J** in the House of Commons.')

Turns out the protagonists are Nadine Dorries and Boris Johnson.

*just kidding.
 
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