'It's needed' - riders heading for the sun as latest Flat jockey break kicks in

The latest break in the Flat season has been broadly welcomed by most riders, although the timing remains a hot topic of debate among the weighing room and trainers.

All-weather meetings were held on Saturday at Lingfield and Wolverhampton, but the next such fixture available to all riders is at Kempton on November 28, with the one exception being an evening card at Wolverhampton on Saturday which is restricted to jockeys who rode fewer than 30 winners in 2021.

The exercise mirrors a similar break in proceedings in March, the week after the Cheltenham Festival, when the Wolverhampton meeting staged then yielded winners for the likes of Ross Coakley, Tom Greatrex, Charlie Bennett and Grace McEntee.

The move helps Flat jockeys to recharge their batteries before a busy winter all-weather programme.

Jack Mitchell said: "We had a questionnaire about the jockey break and it is needed after such a long year. However, in my opinion we should have two weeks off over Christmas and the new year. This would give people time to be with their families or perhaps go away on holiday.

"We had five days off the week after Cheltenham this year, but that made less sense as many jockeys have to ride work then as their stables are gearing up for the Flat season.

"Most of the jockeys are in favour of a break this week and I know some are going to Tenerife, but I'm not. It suits those who haven't got families. The problem is if you have horses not running this week then they will be running next week, so there is still work to be done in the mornings."

Mitchell added: "I think making this Wolverhampton meeting exclusively for jockeys who have ridden fewer than 30 winners the previous year is a good idea, and I think all of the all-weather tracks should do it. It worked well last year and Goodwood did it for apprentices in the summer for a Friday evening meeting."

Trainers have broadly welcomed the introduction of the break, but Newmarket trainer Phil McEntee thinks more can be done.

He said: "I see there were lots of pictures of jockeys at airports on my social media this morning and fair play as it's a long season. The restricted meeting at Wolverhampton on Saturday is a great idea and we'll be making loads of entries for it, but I think they should put on restricted trainers' races as well for those with fewer than 30 horses, as they do in the US."

For other trainers, the timing of the break remains a sticking point.

Stuart Williams said: "The break is a good idea but it should be a month and scheduled after the final meeting of the Flat season at Doncaster, and likewise there should be a month off for the jump jockeys after Sandown in April.

Stuart Williams: 'The break is a good idea but it should be a month and scheduled after the final meeting'Credit: Edward Whitaker

"There's plenty of Flat racing going on in November elsewhere for those that want it, such as the Breeders' Cup, Bahrain and Japan.

"The meeting at Wolverhampton on Saturday for jockeys who have ridden fewer than 30 winners the previous year is a great initiative and should be celebrated."

Michael Bell thinks the break should have been pushed back on account of the many two-year-olds that are still to run in 2022.

The Derby-winning trainer said: "It's great having a break, but there is a big backlog of two-year-olds to run this year after the record-temperature summer we had, which made it difficult to prepare them.

"Kempton put an extra mile race on for juveniles last Friday night and there were 40 entries. I think they could have pushed the break back to December this year in my opinion. Ideally it would be over Christmas and new year, though the all-weather is there then in case the jump racing is off."

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