October
FebruaryHeavy duty
Today’s larger jockeys are struggling to make 20th-century weights, and one cause of small fields is lack of spread in the handicaps — about 5kg now, compared to about 13kg in previous eras.
If we increased the top weight by at least 7kg, that would double the handicap weight spread — increasing field sizes and giving heavier jockeys more opportunities.
It won’t hurt the horses. They’ll just run a bit slower. It will make previous race/course records hard to better, but who cares?
I would much rather my hard-earned is riding on a jockey of healthy body and mind, than one starved and dehydrated, trying to make rational decisions under extreme pressure.
On a related topic, I imagine jockey-to-trainer transitions are very difficult. How about we grant dual licences so they can keep earning a jockey income whilst building up a viable training stable?
It is obvious by the tiny minority that succeed that few can afford that transition without an income.
Integrity issues would seem the only drawback, but with jockeys barred from punting and 21st century controls/surveillance, surely it can be done.
Gold Coast (Qld)