OpinionDavid Jennings
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Shocking that jockeys still might not get paid for doing a key part of the job

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Deputy Ireland editor
Muddy marvel: Mark Enright painted a pretty ugly picture of what is happening behind the scenes in racing in a recent Racing Post interview
Muddy marvel: Mark Enright painted a pretty ugly picture of what is happening behind the scenes in racing in a recent Racing Post interviewCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Something doesn't add up in the jockey algorithm. Sweating plus starvation multiplied by thirst does not equal a healthy profession. Even if you subtract the adrenaline of race-riding and divide by being around animals you adore, we are still nowhere close to getting the right answer. 

We are even further away from finding the solution when you take into account that some trainers still do not pay jockeys for riding out or schooling. 

In the last week alone, I have heard from various voices of brown bread, coal and eggs being used as payments in exchange for schooling. It is better than nothing, I suppose, but by the sound of things there are still too many getting the square root of zero in return for their services away from racecourses. There was a story of one particular jump jockey, with some big-race successes to his name as well, earning 50 quid over the guts of a fortnight a few years ago. It was during the summer and he didn't have a ride on the track during that spell either. 

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