The 2018 Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship runs this year from May 5 to October 20.
I must say, I’m not a fan of partitioning off sections of any bona fide full season for purposes of awarding titles. It’s like saying we’re not going to count the August of a Premier League season, or matches played in May. I can see the sense in having separate championships for the All-Weather and Turf seasons in the UK but the Flat season proper started with the Lincoln in March and ends with the November Handicap at Doncaster in, funnily enough, November. Why jockeys’, and trainers’ for that matter, hard work for 10 weeks of the year should count for nought in statistical terms seems grossly unfair, especially for those not tied to big stables or backed by wealthy owners.
However, that didn’t prevent Silvestre De Sousa from being crowned champion jockey again in 2017, two years after he first won the title. The Brazilian is a freelance nowadays but has refuted claims that he may not have the hunger for a third title bid. Hunger is a phenomenon not uncommon to jockeys in general but it doesn’t reapply to De Sousa. His natural weight is around 8st, the minimum for riding on the Flat, and fasting has never been a major part of his regime. The 37-year-old was briefly retained jockey for Godolphin but that proved an unfruitful alliance. He’s rediscovered his desire for race-riding since severing connections and will again get plenty of rides this season from old mentor Mark Johnston so it is understandable why bookmakers have installed him as their odds-on favourite to retain his title (1/2 with Betway).
To be honest, his only serious rival looks to be Andrea Atzeni (a best 7/1).
Born in Sardinia, Atzeni has become the man for the big occasion. Now attached to the Newmarket stables of Roger Varian, he also gets plenty of outside rides. He’s 10 years younger than De Sousa and 2018 probably represents his best chance yet to become champion jockey, though only if he applies himself to finding rides up and down the country.
There are other more well-known names in the betting to become 2018 Stobart Flat Jockey Champion but Jim Crowley is going to be claimed by his retainer Hamdan al-Maktoum on most occasions and the 2016 champion is 10/1 with Betway to regain his crown.
Ryan Moore (a general 14/1) will again divide his time between Ireland and the UK riding for Ballydoyle while William Buick (20/1 with William Hill) is rarely seen riding in the colours of any owner apart from Godolphin, who pick and choose carefully where they send their horses and also employ James Doyle (40/1 with Betway) on a full-time basis.
2018 Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship Best Odds
Silvestre De Sousa 1/2, Andrea Atzeni 7/1, Jim Crowley 11/1, Ryan Moore, William Buick and Danny Tudhope 20/1, Oisin Murphy 25/1, Adam Kirby 33/1, James Doyle and Luke Morris 50/1, Paul Hanagan, Joe Fanning and Pat Cosgrave 66/1, Fran Berry, Josephine Gordon, David Egan, Frankie Dettori, PJ McDonald, Jamie Spencer and Kieran Shoemark 100/1
