…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Robbie Power, a retired jockey who won multiple top-level races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National, has called for England to drastically alter its fixture list and stop jumps meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays in winter.
Power, who now works as a race planner for trainer Henry de Bromhead, believes the rest of the week’s racing would become more competitive and better if no races were held on those two days.
He suggested that meetings that were not held on Mondays and Tuesdays could be scheduled later in the week instead.
Power added that jockeys would benefit from the proposed change if it was made during winter, with all-weather racing able to fill the gap left by jumps meetings.
Power believes that there is too much racing in England, particularly in midweek.
He has called for England to consider his suggestion to help solve the issue of small field sizes, uncompetitive racing and too much focus on the Festival.
Power explained that racing on Sundays would make sense if racing was not held on Mondays and Tuesdays.
He thinks that taking the two days off would make the rest of the week’s racing more competitive, which would be better for the sport overall.
Robbie Power knows what it’s like to be a jockey and travel a lot, as he travelled back and forth between the UK and Ireland during the last few years of his career.
He suggests that jockeys would benefit from a change in the schedule, as it would allow them some time off during the week.
Power thinks that the All-Weather racing could fill the gap left by jumps meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays in winter.
He acknowledged that betting companies and fans would want racing on those days, but added that betting on All-Weather races would be just as popular.