Lady Jockeys Championship

[RussP]

What does everyone think of this? BRITAIN’S professional lady Jockeys are to get their own championship for the first time, it was announced today (THURSDAY 22 MARCH). The race for the new title – sponsored by Information Technology Solutions Provider Prolinx – begins on the opening day of the Flat racing season at Doncaster Racecourse on Saturday 31 March. It concludes on Town Moor too, on the final day of the season in November. The championship is divided into three sections – gold, silver and bronze. The gold award prize, for Jockeys riding over 30 winners during the season, is £5,000; the silver award (10-29 winners) £3,000; and the bronze award (1-9 winners) £1,000. The winners will be the riders with the best strike rate – winners-to-rides ratio - in each section. Whilst I agree that the lady jockeys are becoming better all the time, I feel this is a backward step in the effort to have them integrated into what is thought of as a male dominated sport. We have the jockeys championship as well as the race for leading apprentice....they should compete on an even footing in these, not have a tinpot championship of their own. Overall, it sends out the wrong message. It's a bit like saying, "sorry Hayley, you can't ride in this Group 1 because this is for the male only championship. Instead you can ride in that Class 7 event at Folkestone". Poor, poor move.

[TheRat]

Re: Lady Jockeys Championship Not really because it's based on strike rate rather than winners, although it then has 3 tiers based on winners.The ri des will still be the same, for the same owners and trainers but I guess it just gives them something seperate to compete for. The ladies are not excluded from anything else. Don't really see a problem myself. It would be different if this excluded them from other competitions and rides but it just allows them to ride as usual with an added financial incentive Who is gonna get over 30 winners though? Turner and Gannon, any others?