A punter is often happy with a winning horse and rider combination. After all, there are excellent odds to come out of their races. However, what a lot of people do not know is that the best riders are often the ones we least suspect. There is a growing number of female jump jockeys who are looking to change up the way that things work, and blackbook.com.au is just one of the companies finding this out for the first time.
Better Odds, Better Riders?
Research which took place over 18 years may have revealed to us that there is a better chance of women jockeys giving better odds than the males. A female riding on a 9-1 chance has, in fact, the same probability of winning as a male who has an 8-1 shot.
In essence, this means that there are better odds for punters if they incorporate the female racers into their selection. Cheltenham Festival saw female riders win 14.3% of the races they participated in, and they also took 9.5% of the available rides, a number which has been on the increase since 2014.
The Challenges Women Face
A lack of media coverage means that a lot of women face the same issues time and time again when it comes to racing, and nobody knows. There’s a noticeable difference between the public perception of the female rider and how well she does in the race.
The way that people view female jump jockeys means that they have to struggle constantly to be recognised as being worthy candidates for a ride. Despite the fact that there is a surge in the number of people who do compete, it has been estimated that only half of all racehorse trainers use a female jockey in their rides.
A Landmark Year
However, even in the face of adversity, there has been significant growth for the female sporting world. Many accomplishments have taken place, which only serves to reinforce the idea that women can play just as well as men can. Female jockeys, in particular, have seen a great slew of achievements. For example, Bryony Frost became the first woman to ride a Grade One Winner at Cheltenham over jumps. It’s just one example of how female riders are becoming a norm – they’re not just a small group anymore – these ladies can race, and often as well as the men they compete against.
To summarise, it’s easy to see how women riders could well be the latest goldmine for punters to take advantage of. You want to make sure that you are giving out the best odds, obviously, and it helps to be able to offer some different bets too. Women riders are commonplace now, and they offer their experiences and unique attributes to give you nothing but the best when it comes to racing. Any punter would be sensible to start, including odds for women, especially when they are better than their male counterparts.