Prize money for jump jockeys’ championship ‘very likely’ in 12 months

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/22/horse-racing-jump-jockeys-championships-prize-money

Version 0 of 1.

Prize money is “very likely” to be offered for the jump jockeys’ championship, according to the man who runs racing’s marketing body, though there is no clear timetable as to when that will happen. Rod Street, chief executive of Great British Racing, was responding to criticism of the fact that prize money was announced for the Flat jockeys’ championship last week without a similar plan being in place for jump racing.

“We are considering rewards for the jump jockeys,” Street said. “We were tasked with looking at the Flat first, which has arguably undergone more change, fixtures-wise. It has been under discussion for well over two years.”

A pot of £100,000 was revealed last week for various prizes now on offer to Flat jockeys, with £25,000 going to the champion each year and other prizes for the runner-up, the top apprentice, the jockey who rides most winners in a calendar year and a monthly prize to be decided by a panel in conjunction with a public vote. The money is being put up jointly by Great British Racing, whose remit covers both Flat and jump racing, and by British Champions Series, which is concerned only with Flat racing.

Street expressed the hope that a sponsor will be found to take over as the source of that funding. “It needed central funding to get it off the ground but we hope that, by promoting the Flat championship more effectively all round and with a more high-profile start and finish, it may be attractive to commercial partners, so the aim is for it to be externally supported.

“Central funding would be required for a jumps championship, too, and this is being considered, but on the same basis as the Flat, ie being attractive enough to secure a commercial partner.” Days after announcing changes to the start and end dates of the Flat championship, Street accepted it is “highly unlikely” that the format of the jump jockeys’ championship will be changed, acknowledging the widespread feeling that it works perfectly well in its current format. “So it comes down to reward and that is very likely,” he said.

Asked about a timetable for putting prize money in place for jump jockeys, Street said: “The timetable would ultimately be set by the Professional Jockeys Association and its members, but we’d hope that the recent progress on the Flat could be maintained to achieve things for jumps in good time.”

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the PJA, insisted on the need for funding to be put in place “sooner rather than later”.

He said: “Our board feel very strongly that, if prize money is going to be awarded for Flat jockeys, it should also be offered for jump jockeys.”

Struthers noted that jump jockeys generally have shorter careers than their Flat counterparts, are more at risk of injury and compete for less prize money. It is, therefore, “only fair” that central funding for a Flat jockeys championship should also be made available for the jump racing equivalent, he said.

“Clearly it won’t be in place for the end of this season in April,” Struthers said. “But I don’t see why it couldn’t be in place by the end of the next season a year from now, sponsor or no sponsor.”