15/3/2002 edition

Apprentice Jockeys

Inexperienced apprentices

With a few apprentice jockeys their claim is a luxury. We'd be happy to support the horses they ride without any claim. But you need to be very careful when you back a horse ridden by an inexperienced apprentice. You might have the advantage of a three kilos' claim. But that three kilos will often not be enough to compensate for the inexperience of the apprentice.

Last Saturday in a restricted handicap over 2100 metres at Doomben Awesome Weather was sent out the $2.00 favourite in the six horse field (again shorter on the tote). But the horse had an inexperienced apprentice jockey, Michael McDonald.

In distance races a good jockey will lead, but not set such a slow pace that another jockey will challenge for the lead. That is how jockeys like Brian York can get away with a win at times on an inferior animal - the race develops into a sprint home, and of course lack of pace is given as the excuse for the backmarkers not winning.

At this stage Michael McDonald is not a Brian York. On jumping away McDonald took the lead on Awesome Weather. He set such a slow pace that by the 1500 Zac Purton on Flying Sparks had taken the lead away from him.

As the horses entered the home straight McDonald found himself in an awkward position on the rails, trapped behind the leader and with nowhere to go. He was only able to get out when Purton kicked away on Flying Sparks. McDonald managed to briefly hit the lead but was headed near the line by Michael Pelling who came with a well timed run on Hurry Hurry.

In a small field McDonald took his mount from comfortably leading to being in an awkward position where he needed luck to get a run.

When you back a horse ridden by an inexperienced apprentice you have to allow for the possibility of an ordinary ride. That means you must always obtain much more generous odds than if the horse was ridden by an experienced jockey.

Next pages
Betting myths
Money talks - plunge horses
Future winners at big odds
Betting packages

Back Tote Longshots?

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