Fran Berry wants three pounds weight allowance for jockeys to remain in place

There have been a couple of notable changes to help riders since racing resumed.

In the UK they are given an additional three pounds weight allowance to cover the absence of saunas from the track. In Ireland the weights have been raised two pounds.

The former came to wider attention last week when John Gosden commented that Stradivarius had actually carried 10st 1lb in winning the Goodwood Cup – and not the 9st 9lb you saw on the racecards.

That figure includes the back protector allowance that’s always been there – and then the new weight one too.

For me it’s one of the very few good things to come from racing in lockdown – and should definitely stay moving forward. I’m all for saunas never returning to tracks and if this allowance allows that, then it’s good for the general health of jockeys and their longevity in the saddle.

At a time when mental health is quite rightly to the fore it has to be a big plus. People will argue the changes will affect lightweight riders and create less opportunities for them.

I can’t have that. If your biggest selling point is you can ride in a race that no others can then you’re in trouble to start with.

Just look at the current top jockeys in the UK standings. Andrea Atzeni, Hollie Doyle, Franny Norton, Ben Curtis and Joe Fanning are all in the top 12 and can all ride light. They’re not lightweight riders – they get chances everywhere.

So does Wayne Lordan in Ireland. He could ride at any weight but is currently second in the table over here and riding in Group One races nearly every week.

Then there’s the argument around performances on the track. Timeform Flat Editor David Johnson responded to John Gosden’s comments on Twitter – asking for an explanation from the BHA which he shared.

If it’s only just on his radar then there can’t have been huge disparities in terms of ratings and performances since the resumption?

Battaash broke the track record at Goodwood despite carrying three pounds more than last year and while Stradivarius was slower in the Goodwood Cup – he didn’t have the likes of Dee Ex Bee to drag him into the race this time.

I really hope these changes stay in place whenever the old normal returns.

No saunas means jockeys having to be better organised and avoid taking drastic measures to lose weight on the day. If the three pounds allowance means this practice is over – then it’s a positive change for me.

Handicapper's view - David Johnson, Timeform Flat Editor

With these weight allowances being mandatory for all, i.e. it is built into the weights all jockeys carry whether they need it nor not, it has had negligible effect on how private handicappers compile and publish their ratings.

Fran raises some excellent points about how the allowance can be of benefit to the long term health of riders. While riding weights have gone up as time has passed, few would argue that they have increased in line with the rise in body weight of the average adult.

The only issue I have is one of transparency. If Stradivarius actually carried 10-1 in the Goodwood Cup, why publish that the weight he carried was 9-9?

One of the most interesting pieces of data published is the lowest riding weight a jockey has ridden at in the last twelve months. This can often be perceived as a pointer to how strongly a horse is fancied, with the theory that a jockey would only ride at his lightest for a ride worth making the effort for.

I always remember Tony McCoy going on a Jaffa Cake and sweet tea diet to do 10-01 on Chicuelo in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup in 2002. I dread to think what went through his mind when his stablemate Cyfor Malta won the race carrying 11-09!

If a jockey is actually only having to get down to 8-04 to ride at 8-01 for example, then I think this is unnecessarily confusing for punters that might want to use the information to help form their betting judgements.