the data presented are at too high a level to determine the cause of the difference in strike rates. one suggestion is that it may be owing to experience (among a host of others) and the article comments as follows;

The stated aim of this brave and pioneering move was to incentivise owners and trainers to give more opportunities to female jockeys who had historically struggled to make a meaningful impact in French racing. The underlying hope was that increased numbers of rides for female jockeys would give them more opportunity to improve their skills on the job and develop into successful professional riders.

so once their skill level has improved, do we take the allowance away? When do we deem them to have improved sufficiently? (another impossible question to answer).

Told ya.

Glad he got back to you Charlton.

i wouldn't say he has a god like following, personally i prefer to read views that don't always follow the mainstream from people that have a real love of the sport , not that fussed whether i agree with them tbh, just whether they open up an interesting debate or ask questions some are too politically aware to ask, the latter we seem to have in abundance sadly

I am opposed to weight allowances of all kinds.* Let the jockeys and horses find their own level.

The Arc.for example, has been hugely in favour of 3 year olds especially fillies over the years.

The argument in favour is that if there were no allowances they wouldn't enter, only older horses

would run in certain events such as the Arc. The counter to that is the top 3 year olds might stay

in training for another year.
                                      * apart from apprentices.

Is this an idea whose time has come and gone?

The statistics in Blake's article are unconvincing mainly because they are unsurprising. If you gave any group of jockeys, left-handers for instance, an allowance you'd expect them to be used more and win more. That is how allowances work. If they gave Frankie Dettori a 5lbs allowance, we'd be straight onto Oddschecker for next season's championship prices.

A decade or two ago, perhaps we were looking at how to get more women jockeys, and perhaps Alex & Emma's prominence in the early days of the all-weather was a false dawn but nowadays women no longer stand out on a card. There are still some trainers who hold out but progress now is steady enough on the Flat and over the Jumps, in Britain and Ireland. If the woke police are watching racing, they might be more concerned at the paucity of BAME and openly gay jockeys. Especially Asian, perhaps, given the number of grooms from the subcontinent.

My impression is that, right now, extra measures to boost women jockeys are not needed. If they are needed, then I'd favour more direct action, such as imposing a minimum quota on large stables (or owners) rather than mess around with indirect measures like allowances.