How do Trainers decide on the Jockey for Horses ?

There does seem to be much interest in the Kenilworth and Turfontein Meetings today.

So a wee Question !

How do Trainers decide on Jockeys for their Horses ??

Is there any particular reason or strategy ? Does the Owner have any say in the matter ? etc etc

As a recent example Mr. Eudey put Godden on Chill ! Why?. Chill ran 3rd accordingly.

Shouldn't the best available Jockey be put on the horse.

Laird keeps on with Dillon ! The horses don't win !

I recently lost two large bets on M.Roberts horses with De Melo riding.

Surely if a Jockey does not perform, he needs to be replaced.

I don't see why a Jockey must be given a chance at the expense of the Punter !


The Jockey should waste his own Time and Money to get up to scratch, and also to excel and perform better than other Jockeys !

He will then get more and better rides, and earn more money.

I say "Down with these mediocre Jockeys !!

Not sure how they pick them ,but they wouldnt be given " a chance " if the two guys you mentioned didnt rate them?

Surely Roberts and C Laird would know a jockey when they see one, and Laird for sure could pick any jockey in the country

Leseding, it's just not possible for ALL trainers to get the jock of their 1st choice for every race. Otherwise Anton Marcus would be carded to ride 6 horses in every race.

Thats why most of the top jocks stick to 3 or 4 top stables For their rides.Gavin Lerena rides a lot for Woodruff , Magner, Ferreira etc.

Once the Strydom's and Lerena's , Marcus have been booked on the better horses the smaller stables then have to rely on the more mediocre jocks - as stable jocks so that these jocks get to know the stable horses well.

In my opinion - nothing worse than a horse running 6 times with 6 different jockeys - how on earth can a jock then get toknow all the quirks and good / bad habits of their horses.

So most smaller stables, just have to put up with mediocre jockeys, finished and klaar.

Chill from wide draw

Here's Chill's last run - The kid got the horse into second spot from a bad draw - I cannot see what he did wrong - This horse has been ridden by Marcus and Lerena before so obviously limited.
Also this race was..... AN APPRENTICE HANDICAP so Craige put on an apprentice that has regularly ridden this horse - He could not put on a regular jockey even if he wanted to!!
I don't know what the other horses were that were ridden by "mediocre riders" but perhaps you can post the videos here so we can see what they did wrong?

Many stables cannot produce horses to run two races alike,so,although inevitably there will be poor rides due to poor judgement,choices and decisions, many times its the horse that doesn't produce.
There is an amazing obsession that all bad runs are somehow the fault of the jocks..........some are of course, but many many aren't!

Thank you Mr H. Leseding, who would you have put on? As Mr H said it was an apprentice hcp! Anton, Anthony, Pierre and Lester did not qualify. Tristan rides the horse every morning in work and most of my other horses as well. He knows them better than anyone. He did nothing wrong. Chill is consistent but no star. The last person to win on him was Jose and Anton has said to me that Chill is better off with the claimers on as he tries so hard anyway so does not need him on.

Craig Eudey wrote: Thank you Mr H. Leseding, who would you have put on? As Mr H said it was an apprentice hcp! Anton, Anthony, Pierre and Lester did not qualify. Tristan rides the horse every morning in work and most of my other horses as well. He knows them better than anyone. He did nothing wrong. Chill is consistent but no star. The last person to win on him was Jose and Anton has said to me that Chill is better off with the claimers on as he tries so hard anyway so does not need him on.

Well said Craig,this man hasn't got a clue(puts everything in bold)perhaps he should take up another hobby like let's say monopoly or snakes and ladders and not talk from his pocket.

I have had both Dillon and De Melo ride for me. Both jockeys are top notch and did everything asked of them and I would never question my trainer for putting either of them on. They can't get something out of a horse that isn't there. Is Strydom a bad jockey because he couldn't get Down Under to win at odds on?

Dillon and De Melo...two of the better newly qualified jocks around...Dillon needs to pick up his confidence...and De Melo...one of the better jocks around in a tight finish...

both have my support...

plus....you get a better price with them riding than AM and AD...

You want to put money on Godden to win on Chill you need to consider the stats and don't blame the jockey afterword's...

In an apprentice hcp Godden as hard as he could try(and everyone could try but not everyone could be the best) statistics shows us he does not win as many races as some of the better apprentices around...fact.

It's a game of probabilities and consider those probabilities before you get to put your money down .

Leseding: "I recently lost two large bets on M.Roberts horses with De Melo riding"
@Leseding hou ever considered there was more to it than just De Melo's riding skills?

Loopy Logic, Anton could not get Chill to win. Who would you put on, an apprentice who you consider better than Tristan but could not pick Chill out of a 3 horse line up or Tristan who rides the horse in 90% of his work and gets off and tells you he felt this or that with the horses which was different to last week or whatever? Also, what are you insinuating with Michael and Keegan?