Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship 2016 – Horse Racing Betting

From Lester Piggott, through Kieren Fallon and onwards to Ryan Moore. British champion jockeys, on the Flat at least, have hardly proved an overly communicative bunch.

Piggott had an excuse in that he was partially deaf but others have actually hidden rather than talk to the press. Nowadays, of course, they can’t do that if they want to remain on the right side of the BHA. With Moore, there may be a genuine shyness but he’s been around the racing scene long enough to learn how to talk to the media in sentences of more than three words!

Probably the most famous of a modern racing dynasty, the three-times champion is 33 this year and bidding to win his first Flat Racing Championship since 2008. He’s reached his century every season since 2004, peaking with 192 winners six years ago.

Moore rode the winners of both the English 2000 and 1000 Guineas last year and the word is he’ll be travelling the length and breadth of the country this year in an attempt to wrest back the title so it’s no surprise that he’s attracted support in ante-post betting to be Champion Jockey in 2016. Currently, bet365 are biggest at 7/4.

Reigning champion Silvestre De Sousa remains favourite, however (6/4 with Betfred), though the Brazilian believes he will have a real battle on his hands. A freelance, he knows that he’s dependent on owners’ and trainers’ loyalty and accepts that those with stronger connections could threaten his dominance.

William Buick finished second in the title race in 2015 and he and James Doyle will be getting plenty of good rides from employer Godolphin. Andrea Atzeni and Paul Hanagan are others guaranteed to receive plenty of support. Graham Lee showed a willingness to travel all over the country last year and the former jump jockey is popular among northern trainers with Luke Morris will be hoping to build on another successful all-weather campaign.

Stobart Flat Jockey Championship Best Odds

SilvestreDe Sousa (6/4), Ryan Moore (7/4), William Buick (10/1), James Doyle and Paul Hanagan (16/1), Andrea Atzeni (20/1), Graham Lee (40/1), Jim Crowley and Luke Morris (50/1), Pat Dobbs and Oisin Murphy (66/1), Tom Marquand (100/1), Frankie Dettori (150/1)

De Sousa’s big advantage over many of his rivals is that his minimum riding weight is eight stone so he can take mounts that others have to forego. The 2016 Stobart Flat Jockeys Championship no longer runs from March to November but is decided by who has ridden most winners of both Flat and All Weather races taking place from early May to mid-October.