Keeping an Eye on the Hawk

Blogs / Timeform / 25 February 2010 / Leave a comment

Philip Hobbs - Two excellent conditionals on his side

Kieran Packman takes a closer look at a young jockey to follow

"Of the fifteen individual horses he’s won on, thirteen came when he was having his initial leg up."

One section of the intimidating Timeform Racing Quiz, which our potential new recruits have to work through at interview, is a series of statements which the interviewee is asked to give their opinion on. An example is 'Putting up a 7-lb claimer nullifies a 7-lb penalty'. There is no strict right or wrong answer, but a response of 'depends on the claimer' would earn top marks.

Identifying a capable conditional or apprentice early enough in their career has long been touted as a valuable punting tool, as the weight allowance they receive can obviously prove very useful. A conditional who would currently be considered a major positive in the hypothetical situation above, is Giles Hawkins.

He's ridden eighteen winners to date, at a strike-rate of 17%, but it's notable that his hurdles record is stronger in terms of winners (21%) and profitability (+£37.87), albeit the latter skewed somewhat by a 33/1 win aboard Roaming West.

Perhaps the most interesting fact to note is the impact he has had when riding a horse for the first time. Of the fifteen individual horses he's won on, thirteen came when he was having his initial leg up. This month alone that's included the aforementioned Roaming West, as well as Wishfull Thinking and Glebehall Bay. On Timeform ratings the last-named improved 15lb on his previous hurdling efforts, whilst the first-named was showing her first form of any merit (hence her price).

His attachment to the Philip Hobbs stable should ensure plenty of live chances in the months ahead, whilst it's also notable that he's ridden winners for Venetia Williams and Tom George from just a handful of rides. Hobbs has nurtured another excellent prospect in Rhys Flint in recent years and Hawkins is showing similar promise.

Converting those previous winners into future punting success is, of course, not an exact science, but, in the short-term, following Hawkins when having his first ride aboard a hurdler will hopefully reap some financial benefit.