They are neck and neck, stretching every sinew to be champion. And there’s not a penny at stake for the winner.

In a world of multi-millionaire sportsmen, jockeys Jamie Spencer and Seb Sanders are battling for that rare old prize – pride.

They are paying a personal toll as well. A diet of saunas and meagre meals to keep their weight down, mixed with a punishing workload.

After eight months and a combined total of more than 2,000 rides, they are exactly level in the Flat jockeys' championship on 185 wins, with three days to go.
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On Thursday alone, Spencer will travel nearly 900 miles in his pursuit to regain the crown he won in 2005.

From his Newmarket home to a London appeal hearing before a flight for racing in Scotland, another to Wolverhampton and home again.

They will do it all again on Friday, and again on Saturday, – when the Flat racing season climaxes at Doncaster.

All this, for what? When the 2007 title is decided on Saturday, there will be no cheque for the winner.

Sponsors will give £10 per season victory to the winning jockey and £5 a winner to the runner-up – and it all goes to charity.

In Spencer’s case, Direct Aid for Africa (he has visited Zambia to help fundraising); while Sanders supports Wish Upon A Star for sick children.
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They will merely pick up a trophy from the Jockeys’ Association, and for the first time, one from the British Horseracing Authority.

“Winning the championship is not about the money for a jockey, but about the prestige that comes with claiming the title,” said BHA spokesman Lucy Watson.

Top-flight Flat jockeys get renumerated – a fee of £125.94 from the horse’s owner for each ride.

On top of that, they would normally receive 10 per cent of any prize money.

With winnings topping £2m this season, Spencer will have reaped over £200,000 through prize money alone; with Sanders earning around half that amount.

The rewards are greater in other sports.

Golf’s Open winner Padraig Harrigton picked up a cheque for £750,000, while Wimbledon tennis champion Roger Federer pocketed £700,000.

That’s before the advertising and marketing people get involved.

What drives Spencer and Sanders is to be on the roll call of champions, which includes Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott, Willie Carson, Pat Eddery, Kieren Fallon and Frankie Dettori.

Like all good showdowns, there is a contrast in characters.

Jamie Spencer was born to be king of the saddle. The godson of powerful Coolmore Stud boss John Magnier, he was winning big races before he could even vote.

The 'Babyfaced Assassin' from Tipperary was stable jockey for Magnier’s demanding Ballydoyle stable in 2004, but he struggled and quit for a lower-pressure role.

Now aged 27, he is married to Channel Four racing presenter Emma Ramsden, the daughter of former trainer Lynda Ramsden.

Seb Sanders, a big Birmingham City football fan, is cut from different cloth, and at 36, knows this could be one of his last chances to be champion.

He rode his first winner when Spencer was just 10, and has steadily improved to cast off the journeyman jockey tag.

While his rival has tasted success at big meetings, from York to Royal Ascot; Sanders cites Brighton as his favourite track.

It might not quite be pistols at dawn, but the riders were in London at 7am for the appeal hearing on Thursday and the day’s last race at Wolverhampton is not until 9.20 at night.

They have been on the go almost non-stop since the end of March.

Small in stature, they must be big on strength. Sanders weighs only 8st 4lb but galvanises half a tonne of horse to speeds topping 30 miles an hour.

Racing, with its relentless fixture lists and daily routines, brings a personal cost.

The 2007 title race echoes the great tussle 20 years ago between Eddery and Steve Cauthen.

The American Cauthen travelled to distant tracks such as Edinburgh and Hamilton in Scotland to clinch his third title.

But the effort took its toll, and Cauthen was never champion again.