Odds-on Sanders will struggle - Prescott

/ Editor / 07 June 2007 / Leave a Comment

Despite trading at a shade of odds-on, Sir Mark Prescott does not believe his stable jockey Seb Sanders can win the Jockey's Championship.

Sanders currently leads the race to be top jockey from Jamie Spencer, who is due to return to action on Thursday, but his current employer believes changes to the handicap system and the number of meetings a jockey can ride at per week, may conspire against the man who Prescott calls 'Mr Reliable'.

"When the evening meetings end, the big stables will choose their own favourite jockeys," the Newmarket trainer told the Daily Mail.

"The new ruling that jockeys may ride at only nine meetings a week will stop him from riding winners for us. He has missed two days for us already."

Sir Mark added: "The new handicap rules that there will now be 6lb cumulative penalties (instead of 1lb penalty during a 10-day period) will hinder our chances of multiple handicap wins (11 last year).

"He will also struggle come September when the maiden races start. We'll try to help him as much as possible. He deserves to be champion because he makes fewer mistakes than most -- but he probably won't be."

Sanders is currently available at 1.84 on Betfair to win his first title while Spencer is trading at 2.14.