The Final of the Racing Excellence Conditional Training Series is being held at Plumpton Racecourse on 10 May. The series, which started in October last year compromises of 13 races and has involved 43 jockeys, but it is Martin McIntyre who leads the points table on 37 points following a win in the penultimate race at Towcester. Martin is Conditional Jockey for Neil Mulholland and has ridden six winners since taking out his licence. He has won two of the series races and been placed in two. In second place is Ben Ffrench Davis, Conditional for Oliver Sherwood and is 13 points behind the leader with one win and two places in series races.

Given that there is only the opportunity for jockeys to gain points for course walking and race position during a Final, it leaves Martin with a comfortable enough lead to be crowned Champion whether he has a ride in the Final race or not.

Throughout the series Jockeys are awarded points for walking the course and race position and the BHA Jockey Coach who attends the race also has the opportunity to give points to the ‘Jockey of the day’, for this they need to show professionalism, conduct themselves well and demonstrate good riding skills. In the final Jockeys will be awarded course walking points and place points only, 1^st place – 5pts, 2^nd place – 3pts, 3^rd place – 2pts and 4^th place – 1 pt. The series is for jockeys who have not ridden more than 20 winners prior to the first race in the series. Whips can be carried, waved and used but only in the backhand position.

Racing Excellence runs alongside the BHA Jockey Coaching Programme and is the industry accreditation for all apprentice and conditional races which run under hands and heels or training race conditions. In February 2014 the British Racing School (BRS) took over the management of Racing Excellence and Jockey Coaching Programme. The latter gives all Apprentice and Conditional jockeys the opportunity to have a coach. All coaches, who are all ex Jockeys, can be on hand to help with fitness, riding technique, nutrition and race reviews. A coach will attend every Racing Excellence race to conduct the pre-race course walk and then will debrief afterwards.

Former Jockey Steve Smith Eccles will be the coach at Plumpton for the final. Steve rode 900 winners worldwide with 876 in the UK, eight of these were Cheltenham Festival winners and he was leading rider at the festival in 1985.

The winner of the series will collect a £1000 prize of their choice to be used towards developing their career, this could be anything from a fuel card to a racehorse simulator

For more information on Racing Excellence or the Jockey Coaching Programme please contact Jennie Durrans, [email protected] or call 01638 669039