THE biggest ever prize pot in jumps racing history, £1.5million, is up for grabs in a brand new jockey ‘league’.
Jockeys collect points by finishing in the first four in races on ITV, and the lucky winner of the David Power Jockey’s Cup (DPJC) gets a whopping £500,000 bonus.
GettyThe rivalries between the top jockeys such as Harry Cobden, Sean Bowen, Harry Skelton and Nico de Boinville will be heightened.[/caption]
Second place gets £200,000, third gets £100,000 and so on all the way to tenth place who gets £10,000.
The ‘league-style’ contest starts this weekend with Cheltenham’s first big jumps meeting and end on the eve of the Grand National at Aintree on April 4.
The jockeys were delighted at the opportunity to add a bit more loot to their pockets.
Last year’s Champion jockey, Harry Cobden, said: “This season is set to be very exciting, and I can’t wait to be part of the inaugural David Power Jockeys’ Cup.
“It’s a huge amount on offer and I’m sure will create some great competition as we’ll all be trying to win as many of those ITV races as we can.”
Top jockey Harry Skelton added: “There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline of competing with the best.
“This is our chance to put it all on the line, win a transformative amount of money, and honour the legacy of a true racing legend. I couldn’t be more excited to get started.”
The initiative, backed by Flutter Group, the parent company to Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming, and Betfair, also offers generous prizes to the trainer and staff.
An extra £50,000 goes to the trainer responsible for the majority of the winner’s rides. And another £50,000 for the staff at the yard behind the winning jockey.
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For the second placed jockey, trainers and staff get £20,000 each and so for the rest of the placings.
The scheme, whose main aim is to make racing more accessible, was launched in memory of the legendary bookmaker David Power, co-founder of Paddy Power.
According to Flutter Group research, nearly 45% of Brits say they’d follow racing more closely if races were easier to watch, with 38% wanting more behind-the-scenes access to jockeys’ stories.
This format brings jockeys to the forefront with unrivalled media access making up a key component of the initiative designed to capture fresh fan interest.
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