Ben Coen - riding in "rider restricted races"

Noticed this last night. I don't believe these races were meant for jockeys outside Britain but obviously a loophole has been found. I think the idea is good and long overdue.

I make it that Coen rode 76 winners abroad in the qualifying period.

Perhaps the BHA should act against cheating trainers exploiting this loophole.

W 5:30 Approval: 2 (4) Ben Coen William Haggas
W 6:00 Aces Wild: 3 (10) Ben Coen Adrian Wintle
W 6:30 Beveragino: 10 (10) Ben Coen Michael Bell
W 7:00 Mammy: 2 (5) Ben Coen Michael Bell
W 7:30 Bernie The Bear: 3 (7) Ben Coen Linda Perratt
W 8:00 Lough Leane: 1 (5) Ben Coen David Simcock

They shouldn't have created the loophole in the first place.

salmon spray -- They shouldn't have created the loophole in the first place.

You are right but they have, so the question is what should be done about it.

I agree that the trainers concerned are morally cheating,but I wouldn't mind defending them on a legal basis.
Incidentally I obviously don't keep up with jockey form as I didn't realise Keniry and Kelly had fallen so far.

I think all the trainers should have employed Irish jockeys to show up how ludicrously narrow-minded the BHA are for framing the race that way.

I'm surprised Silvestre de Sousa isn't riding, decent prize money on offer for a mainly class 6 card.

GEORGE.B

Re: those 55 winners you mention - I make it 56 winners over that period but that's not too important.

What maybe is the fact that, of those 56 winners I've come across 39 of them were at tracks in the provinces of Leinster, Munster, Connacht & Ulster.

Therefore those 39 winners were not in Great Britain.

Riding in first six but conveniently able to go home early and miss the last. Just a total embarrassment all round and so unfair.

Why even have a race with these conditions? Giving jockeys with very poor win %'s (eg one with 2 wins

from 100,last 12 months on AW) a better chance to win a race. No disrespect to these jockeys. They are

athletes working as hard as the more successful jocks, but maybe some of them aren't talented enough.

I see apprentices can ride and claim their allowance so what's to stop a hot up and coming apprentice

with a high win rate riding?

roggrain 19 Mar 24 12:39 
Why even have a race with these conditions? Giving jockeys with very poor win %'s (eg one with 2 wins

from 100,last 12 months on AW) a better chance to win a race. No disrespect to these jockeys. They are

athletes working as hard as the more successful jocks, but maybe some of them aren't talented enough.

I see apprentices can ride and claim their allowance so what's to stop a hot up and coming apprentice

with a high win rate riding?





A good opportunity both for him and us so I'm all for it.

My guess as to why the loophole exists...

Weatherbys told the BHA their computer only knows about British races so can only automatically screen out jockeys based on British wins.

Anyone with a room-temperature IQ would have made the condition universal and relied on the stewards to bar foreign-winning jockeys on the day, or afterwards, as well as the good sense of foreign jockeys not to take the michael, but the BHA would rather have a Swiss cheese rule.

Actually I meant a good opportunity for the up and coming apprentice.

Good apprentice's will not want to use up their claim in class 6 races.

Apprentices will do what they're told.

GEORGE.B 19 Mar 24 08:49
Will Colin Keane be coming over next for these "rider restricted" races?

Not a restricted meeting, but Keane just said there on RTV that he is riding at Chelmsford on Good Friday. A couple for Jack Jones, who used to work for Ger Lyons, and booked for six rides in total.