If you have ever been to a horse racing meeting before, you’ll appreciate the thrill that comes with backing a winner in the sport. Everybody has their own way of selecting their horse. Some will study the form book for hours, a name may spring off the racecard or it could be the silks which attract you to a runner in the race. Here is our look at what the different coloured silks mean in horse racing and whether they can correlate to success in the sport.
Why Do Jockeys Wear Different Coloured Silks?
The most obvious reason is to distinguish the different horses. If the jockeys wore the same silks it would be very difficult for spectators and the commentator to identify who was winning throughout the contest. This would be particularly tricky in races such as the Grand National, which is one of the biggest national hunt meetings for racing and fashion in the UK, where there is a maximum field of 40 runners for the race.
Each set of silks in horse racing represent an owner. If a jockey is booked to ride a particular horse, they have to carry those colours. When you register to become an owner in the sport, you have to create your own silks and submit them. These can be anything you like, therefore you can be as creative as you want to. If you are part of a syndicate where there are multiple owners, you have to agree together what your silks will be.
Look Out For Leading Owners
Racing UK via Twitter
As a method of selection, choosing a horse due to the colour of their silks is fine. However, it by no means correlates to any success though. If you are looking for the colours to help you back winners, it could be worth following some of the leading owners. One of these is the Godolphin operation which is owned by the Al Maktoum family from Dubai. They are one of the biggest supporters of racing and have horses running all over the world, including in the US and UK. Their colours are easily recognisable as the hat and jacket are both navy blue. Godolphin have one of the leading contenders for the Derby, the most prestigious flat race in the UK, this year with Barney Roy who is +900 with Betway Sports for the 2400m Classic at Epsom Downs. The three-year-old colt was third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month and may improve for the step up in trip. When selecting a horse in one of the leading races from around the world, do take a look at the roll of honour for the race. Certain owners target particular races. For example in the Kentucky Derby, where the winner receives $1,240,000 and is attended by 160,000 spectators each year, Calumet Farm have been successful on eight occasions. The Kentucky Derby is available to watch on NBC Sports.
The Mighty 1090 via Twitter
Other Factors To Consider When Finding Winners In Horse Racing
There are a number of factors which you may have to consider when it comes to a horse’s chances of winning a race. Arguably the biggest is the jockey who is on board. The best jockeys find that extra from their horses when it is needed. The Breeders’ Cup is widely regarded as the World Championship in racing and jockey Mike Smith holds the record at the meeting with 25 wins which has helped him to secure $34,279,605 in prize money from those successes. Smith is therefore in high demand for all the leading owners as they know he rides at this meeting better than anybody.
The surface is also something which is really important for find winners in horse racing. Certain horses run better on dirt, while others prefer turf. The latter is particularly preferable in Europe as their leading meeting, the Royal Ascot, which has one of the strictest dress codes for any horse racing event, is run only on grass. It is therefore crucial to learn how the conditions will suit the horse you are looking to back.
Finally, the distance of a race should be considered when looking for the winner. Horses which have won over that trip before have to appeal more than others for the simple reason that there are no question marks about their stamina.
