![\"Jockey](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ryan-moore-riding-illinois-win-993072224.jpg\")
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Top jockeys like Ryan Moore have signed up to a new jockeys leagueCredit: Getty<\/p>\n
Given the amount of time, money and effort that has been spent trying to think of ways to bring new fans into the sport, this is the best we can do? <\/p>\n
If you missed the news, 12 of the most famous Flat jockeys in the world have signed up to \u2014 and invested their own money in \u2014 a \u2018global jockey league\u2019 that they intend to launch next year. <\/p>\n
Co-founded by ex-Godolphin supremo John Ferguson and a former betting industry bigwig known as Lachlan Fitt, few details has been offered about how this new competition is supposed to work. <\/p>\n
But, by the sounds of it, they are hoping to raise \u00a315million and each jockey will act as \u2018team principal\u2019 for their own \u2018franchise\u2019 across a handful of meetings, essentially giving the world\u2019s richest riders a chance to get even richer. Pass the sick bucket. <\/p>\n
Frankie Dettori (I thought he was bankrupt?) and Ryan Moore to have put their names and money down, as have some top US, Asian and Australian-based jocks. <\/p>\n
They tell us this new league is going to \u2018revolutionise\u2019 the sport but, here comes my cynical side again, I think the only thing the jockeys involved are interested in is revolutionising their bank balance. <\/p>\n
We saw it with this season\u2019s David Power Jockey\u2019s Cup over the jumps. The only people with any real interest \u2014 I say \u2018real\u2019 because there are lots of people out there who fake it \u2014 are a handful of men and women in the weighing room. <\/p>\n
And why wouldn\u2019t you when there is \u00a31.5million up for grabs? <\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t float my boat and it didn\u2019t capture the imagination of a wider audience either \u2014 which was the whole idea in the first place. And it\u2019s no different with this proposed new jockeys league. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s just another gimmick, but this time one with an incredibly elitist feel. It\u2019s a competition by the wealthiest jockeys for the wealthiest jockeys \u2014 why would anyone from out- side the self-anointed top 12 riders in the world give two flying hoots? <\/p>\n
And they scored a tremendous PR own-goal even before the thing had launched by not including a single female rider in the designated dozen. <\/p>\n
If the goal really is to attract new, young fans, surely they should have included a jockey who can be a role model to 51 percent of the world\u2019s population? <\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know what the obsession is with turning racing into a team or league-based sport. <\/p>\n
Nobody cares about the Shergar Cup at Ascot but it\u2019s a one-day bit of fun (the event has never claimed to be more than that) and it’s been going for donkeys years, so people just get on with it. <\/p>\n
The Racing League, however, is rammed down our throats and it\u2019s been a total failure in getting a new audience interested in the sport, which was one of it\u2019s main aims when it launched.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been trying to use \u2018top\u2019 jockeys to sell the sport for years in this country and it doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n
Mainly because, bar a handful of obvious exceptions, they aren\u2019t exactly the most charismatic bunch.<\/p>\n
For some reason, those who come up with all these terrible ideas can\u2019t accept that the vast majority watch racing and go racing because they want to have a bet.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d guess 90 per cent of people go to the races to escape from the real world for a few hours, to look at the horses and have a punt and a pint. <\/p>\n
Racing\u2019s ridiculous marketing bods seem to think it\u2019s because they want to see William Buick in the flesh.<\/p>\n
And until more time and effort is spent trying to tackle one of the real issues facing our sport \u2014 namely the impact of affordability checks which are seeing punters desert racing in their droves \u2014 then we are going to find ourselves in deep, deep trouble. <\/p>\n
So please, spare us another bloody jockey\u2019s league.<\/p>\n
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