'We're fully invested and prepared to be more accessible' - jockeys pledge to open up as part of new lucrative competition

Leading jockeys have vowed to be more accessible to racing fans and open about their personalities as a new £1.5 million jockeys' competition was launched on Friday.

Champion jockey Harry Cobden and former titleholder Harry Skelton were joined by Sean Bowen and Nico de Boinville at the launch of the David Power Jockeys' Cup at Cheltenham on Friday, a competition in which riders will achieve points for results in ITV races, with the winner to receive £500,000 and trainers and staff also rewarded.

Cobden described the Flutter Entertainment-led initiative, which started at Cheltenham's November meeting, as "unbelievable" although it came as the Racehorse Owners Association criticised an "utterly unacceptable" lack of consultation and involvement of owners.

The hope is the competition will also boost the profile of jockeys with the general public after research from Flutter highlighted 38 per cent of sports fans wanted more behind-the-scenes content and 29 per cent wished to know more about jockeys' personalities. Riders have agreed to address this, with enhanced coverage including microphones at race starts, more prominence on social media and improved insight into their lives.

De Boinville said: "Ultimately we've all signed up to this and we're fully invested and prepared to be more accessible. We know we're going to have to do a bit of heavy lifting, carrying microphones and social media. We're fully in on it and we wanted to work to make as much content as we can."

Skelton added: "Even five or ten years ago you'd never get four jockeys sitting down talking about things like this. The way our sport is going on leaps and bounds is a massive positive.

"If something like this can open it up to the wider, bigger public we'll help support it and that's surely only a positive. If we have to open up and bring something more to the table and support it then that's what we'll do."

ROA chief executive Louise Norman: owners continue to be "underappreciated"Credit: Edward Whitaker

The trainer and stable staff of the yard that provides most winners to the leading jockeys will also take home prize-money when the cup concludes on April 4, the day before the Grand National, but owners will not benefit.

In a strongly worded statement the ROA on Friday signalled its frustration that the initiative excluded owners.

The statement from ROA chief executive Louise Norman read: "Without owners these innovative initiatives would not take place and for the ROA to receive only 48 hours’ notice of the Jockeys’ Cup via a press release, which initially did not even mention owners or any acknowledgment of their fundamental role in the industry, is utterly unacceptable.

"This again demonstrates the complete lack of appreciation from many in the industry for the owner."

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