Should owners 'rock the boat' and end payments to riders?

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Do owners know everything they are paying for when it comes to their involvement in horseracing in Britain? Having looked into that question, Mark Albon is not so sure they do.

Albon has been an owner in Britain for the best part of a decade and, until recently, was a member of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) board. Retired from his job as a oil and gas trading manager, he was keen to put his experiences to good use to benefit owners.

One topic became a particular focus for Albon during his time at the ROA: hidden, or perhaps better described as under acknowledged, costs owners were routinely paying.

Most owners know they are going to be paying for the likes of the farrier, vet and gallops on top of their daily rate to trainers. They will also be aware that it costs to enter horses for races and for jockeys to ride, which can hopefully be offset by prize-money. Some owners may know they have to pay annual BHA re-registration fees for colours, authority to act and VAT entitlement.

However, this is not the case for all owners, and Albon believes even fewer are appreciative of additional costs mandatorily paid by owners to jockeys for the Professional Riders Insurance Scheme (Pris) and the Career Ending Insurance Scheme (CEI). He feels this needs to stop.

“I am always amazed when talking to other owners about the lack of understanding of all of the additional costs charged to them, especially Pris,” Albon says.  

Established in 1974, Pris pays licensed jockeys a fixed fee depending on the numbers of rides they have had the previous season if they are sidelined, either temporarily or permanently, and to their dependents in the case of a rider’s death. 

The insurance scheme is entirely funded by owners through a levy on riding fees, which had been 11 per cent but was reduced this month to one per cent until April 2026 when it is forecast to rise to eight per cent.

However, Pris should be ended, says Albon, who pointed to the scheme having approximately £3 million in its reserves, many riders having personal insurance policies and owners not being able to opt in, or out.

“The recent announcement by the ROA regarding a reduction in Pris payments, although positive, is just the tip of the iceberg in addressing the overall hidden costs being charged to owners,” he says. “Is it not about time that owners’ responsibility of paying this insurance comes to an end and the responsibility of arranging and paying for their own insurance should rest with the jockeys, or the Professional Jockeys Association? A jockey with more than 600 rides per season will be entitled to over £2,000 per week while injured on top of any other insurance they may take out privately.

“I accept that it is possible that some younger jockeys might find the cost of insurance prohibitive, maybe then the PJA or more senior jockeys step in to cover this cost.”

The ROA should also seek to end its backing of CEI, Albon says. After Stobart ended its support for the scheme in 2019, owners stepped in two years later. As a result, Albon believes the PJA has “no incentive to go and find another sponsor” and owners will just keep on paying.

ROA chief executive Louise Norman said work was ongoing on a cross-industry review of costs as “there are various duplications and overlaps which impact the owner directly and indirectly” and that a reduced Pris contribution had been achieved “based on the reserve levels held”.

She added the ROA had “no end date advised” when stepping into support CEI and alongside the PJA would “collectively look to further understand workings of the cover whilst ensuring that the approach is transparent and aligned to other insurances in place to protect jockeys”.

On re-registration fees, Norman pointed to an agreement made with the BHA in 2022 to “streamline” the fee structure which the ROA has “stressed the importance of delivering” as part of next year’s long-awaited roll out of Racing Digital.

Eradicating these costs would be a positive move for owners, Albon believes. However, with racing’s representative bodies too wedded to the notion of “not rocking the boat” he is not sure what progress will be made. 

This is also the case with another cost Albon thinks should be investigated by the sport more broadly - the flat rate paid to riders, with a more dynamic model potentially being beneficial.

“We need to look at changing jockey fees,” he says. “I cannot think of another industry where you would pay the same for someone at the top of their profession as someone starting out.

“We could have a table of charges agreed by jockeys with a minimum fee. Junior jockeys could offer lower fees if they wanted in order to gain more rides while more experienced jockeys could ask/demand higher fees. It would then be down to the owner and trainer to decide the level of jockey required.”

Who Am I?

Today's clue:

"The Breeders' Cup is a real world championships, you just can't wait for it to come round. When I was growing up, my father used to record it for me on the VCR so I could watch it the next day. I remember thinking, this is just something extra special. Obviously, it was a hell of a long way from there to riding my first winner. I made five fruitless trips to the Breeders' Cup before finally winning there - unless you count a Grade 2 on the supporting card. Fortunately, things turned around."

It's the start of a new week in our 'Who Am I?' quiz, based around a different racing personality each week. We'll give you a new clue every day, with the answer revealed on Friday.

Think you know who it is? Email frontrunner@racingpost.com to say who. I'll give a mention to everyone who gets it right.

Terry Jones was last week's winner, being the first to name Jamie Spencer as the high-flying jockey involved in memorable races and also some memorable stewards' inquiries.

Three things to look out for today

1. Patience is often regarded as the most important trait in horseracing, which is no doubt what the connections of Dark Agent have been telling themselves in recent years. Bought for £85,000 as a breeze-up horse in 2020, Dark Agent makes his debut, yes you read that right, today at the age of six (six and a half if you want to be precise) in a 1m2f novice stakes (3.05) at Redcar. Owned by Gerry McGladery, whose colours were carried to Listed success at Doncaster over the weekend, Dark Agent boasts a lovely pedigree being closely related to Lethal Force, among others. The Front Runner wishes good luck to Dark Agent and those closest to him after all the waiting that has taken place. 

Dark Agent15:05 Redcar

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Jky: Ben Robinson Tnr: Rebecca Menzies

2. In another sign we are only days away from the end of the Flat turf season, Redcar hosts the Double Trigger Novice Stakes (1.55). The race is named in honour of the brilliant stayer whose achievements on the track included victory in the 1995 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Double Trigger made his debut in this 1m1f contest and blitzed his rivals by ten lengths. However, his SP of 14-1 was an indicator of what chance he was thought to have, with his trainer Mark Johnston saying in his authorised biography: “I didn’t have a clue Double Trigger was good. He was a clown at home, and he never did a decent gallop.” Ron Huggins, whose colours were carried by Double Trigger, has a runner in this year’s race, with Spirit Of Jura trained by Charlie Johnston. 

Spirit Of Jura13:55 Redcar

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Jky: P J McDonald Tnr: Charlie Johnston

3. Owner JP McManus will be watching Wexford intently this afternoon when two of his useful horses line up at the track. Corbetts Cross, winner of the National Hunt Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, returns to action in the Listed Michael Hickey Memorial Chase (3.20). The last time this race was run, Corbetts Cross’s trainer Emmet Mullins won this race with Noble Yeats. Inthepocket is also in action for McManus for the first time in nearly a year as he contests the 2m beginners' chase (3.55). Trained by Henry de Bromhead, Inthepocket was a Grade 1 winner over hurdles and finished second to the ill-fated Facile Vega on his only start over fences last year. 

Corbetts Cross15:20 Wexford

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Jky: Mark Walsh Tnr: Emmet Mullins

Inthepocket15:55 Wexford

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Jky: Mark Walsh Tnr: Henry De Bromhead

Read these next:

What's on this week: all roads lead to City Of Troy's date with destiny at Del Mar while jumps stars return at Down Royal 

Lowther Stakes winner Celandine 'not quite right' and ruled out of Breeders' Cup bid 

Trainer out to enhance flawless Galway record plus Dan Skelton with a 'big chance' at Ayr - punting pointers for Monday's action  

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.