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Jockeys' duel lifts racing

Flat racing
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Two contrasting characters, both spurred by a will to win, and a dream result for the sport of horse racing.

Seb Sanders and Jamie Spencer dead heated for the champion jockey title as the Flat racing championship went down to the final race of the season.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/oth...

In the process, racing gained an unexpected fillip against a backdrop of difficult headlines elsewhere.

As they shared the title on 190 wins apiece, the names of Sanders and Spencer filled 2007 on the champion jockeys’ roll of honour that includes riding greats such as Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Frankie Dettori.

A certain Kieren Fallon appears six times, but his name has latterly been connected with matters of other concern.

Fallon is currently out of action, taking his seat in court 12 at the Old Bailey, rather than gracing the saddle.

He strenuously denies allegations of race fixing, but whatever the outcome of the case, racing's image has been dented by the publicity and other lower profile incidents.

Sanders and Spencer cannot be accused of doing anything else but trying their hardest as they scoured the country for winners.

The toll on the little men with a huge appetite for success was clear to see as they shared the platform to jointly accept a huge trophy which almost dwarfed them.

There was a weary Spencer, who has clocked more Air Miles in the last week than jetset footballer David Beckham will in months.

The baby-faced Irish rider, champion in 2005, was born into blueblood racing stock, a godson of powerful Coolmore Stud boss John Magnier.

But he bore the look of a man who will concentrate on the bigger races from now on, rather than the punishing schedule of trying to be the season’s top man.

Alongside him was the plainly delighted Sanders, revelling in just being champion, no matter it is a shared accolade.

The plumber's son from Birmingham had tapped into deep reserves to make his title challenge.

That they both pushed their bodies and minds to the limit for a prize that has no additional monetary award tells its own tale.

“There’s no crock of gold at the end. Sometimes racing has been portrayed in a bad light, but if this can’t propel it forward, nothing can,” said Spencer.

Sanders did not even have time to celebrate his win.

Rather than drowning in champagne at the turf season’s conclusion, he headed for the all-weather Dunstall Park track at Wolverhampton for more rides on Saturday night.

Now the sport moves on to the altogether riskier business of National Hunt.

There’s no doubt over who the champ is there. Tony McCoy, winner for the last 12 seasons.

He risks injury every day, hurling horses weighing half a tonne over obstacles up to 5ft high. Jump jockeys suffer a fall on average every one in 16 rides.

Once again, McCoy will struggle to get wider recognition outside racing and be shortlisted for awards like the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The Corinthian spirit may be alive, just don’t expect it to become fashionable.

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comment by fluber1978 (U10343452)

posted Nov 12, 2007

He'll be back riding in England after the court case. Boycotting England would be like cutting off your nose to spite yur face. Do you think Coolmore would continue to pay him if he said he wouldn't ride over there?

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comment by brizyboy - Sea the Stars now that was a Whooooooosh!!!! (U9860669)

posted Nov 12, 2007

This thread is supposed to be about seb and spencer, well done to them, both have put in 100pc over the season and well dont to the trainers for putting up the rides to the end. The sport has been tainted by the court case of that there is no doubt and all the accused will have to be squeaky clean in the future, i hope we can concentrate on the winners

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comment by rugy07 (U4093446)

posted Nov 12, 2007

Does anyone know why, when the jockeys finish tied on winners, 2nd then 3rd places aren't taken into account? The top jockey prize at any meeting or festival is done this way. I just assumed the actual championship would be too. I'm not sure which of the two has the most 2nds, but if I was them, I'd feel a little peeved, and if I'd backed them, even more so!

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comment by BBC Sport's Honest Frank (U1645784)

posted Nov 12, 2007

Rugy

Sanders won on countback, more seconds etc and punters with betting exchange Betfair will have been paid out on him.

Most bookmakers will use the dead heat rule, and pay out on both (but to half stakes).

While Sanders would have won on countback, it was nice to see them share the title in such a gracious way.

And Sanders finished his day with a winner at Wolverhampton (technically after the season had finished) on Saturday night.

He was given a spontaneous ovation by the crowd there on arrival in the paddock, and won the last on Kissing.

Cheers
HF

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comment by mightymoyes (U1752672)

posted Nov 12, 2007

paddy power are paying out fully on both. more bookies should be doing this.

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comment by isitworthit (U5441841)

posted Nov 12, 2007

Yes, it was good that they both seemed happy to be sharing the honour.

I did think that Sanders deserved it but at the end of the day two winners were better than one.

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comment by rugy07 (U4093446)

posted Nov 12, 2007

Thanks for clearing that up Frank. It is very sporting of Seb, particularly as he's older than Jamie and has never won the title before. If I was him I'd still be shouting about countback! It's also weird that the season can end half way through a day. I suppose with all weather racing the season doesn't have such clear definition as it once did, but you'd think it would be done on a date and not a meeting.

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comment by jackane24 (U7289241)

posted Nov 12, 2007

'It's also weird that the season can end half way through a day. I suppose with all weather racing the season doesn't have such clear definition as it once did, but you'd think it would be done on a date and not a meeting.'

It's disgraceful. More appalling organisation from the BHA.

I noticed Seb was riding on Saturday night, and actually backed Kissing.

The BHA have made a total mess of the entire situation.

1. The flat season started on March 31st and due to finish on November 10th. In which period, Seb rode 1 more winner than Jamie Spencer did - Kissing.

2. They say that the November Handicap signals the end of the flat season. If the Nov Hcap is indeed the last race, Spencer's victory on Inchnadamph should not be included, therefore Seb wins 190-189.

You simply cannot allow the flat season to end halfway through a day, particularly when these jockeys have been so reliant on evening AW meetings.

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comment by tregoning (U839529)

posted Nov 12, 2007

It is the flat season which is defined by turf racing - The championship starts with the Brocklesbury at Doncaster and also ends with their last meeting. If you want to include greyhound type aw racing then there should be an annual championship but with so many of the established jockeys riding abroad it would be pointless and bizarre.

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comment by mightymoyes (U1752672)

posted Nov 12, 2007

it think the point theyre trying to make is that AW racing is included for much of the season so why isnt it included on the last day on the season.

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