The Best Bets Star of the Saddle will continue on Saturday when the top jockeys compete for a lucrative $100,000 prize on Stella Artois Caulfield Cup Day.
The Star of the Saddle seeks to reward those jockeys who support the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival by recognising the best and fairest rider across premier racedays at Flemington, Caulfield and The Valley throughout October and November.
With points allocated on a 3-2-1 basis for the first three placegetters in each race, the inaugural Star of the Saddle went the way of local young gun Jordan Childs at Flemington on TAB Turnbull Stakes Day where he collected $50,000 for his victorious efforts.
The second edition of the series at Caulfield last Saturday went down to the wire with Kerrin McEvoy and Damian Lane splitting the $50,000 prize after recording a thrilling tie.
Lane led the competition coming into the 10th and final race, the Schillaci Stakes, where he needed a top two placing to secure the prize outright, but he could only manage a third placed finish with The Bostonian.
With the prizemoney set to double to $100,000 for this weekend’s Caulfield Cup Day, star jockeys Damian Lane (10 rides), Damien Oliver (10 rides), Ben Melham (nine rides) and Dwayne Dunn (nine rides) are among the favoured chances to claim victory.
The highest points scorer at Saturday’s Caulfield meeting will be crowned the Star of the Saddle and win the cash prize provided that they have not been suspended during the course of the race meeting for breaches of Australian Rules of Racing 131 (Riding Offences) and/or 132 (Whip Use).
If the highest points scorer is suspended for breaching AR 131 and/or 132 during the race meeting, then the prize will be awarded to the second highest points scorer and so on until such time as the best and fairest jockey is determined.
In the case of a tie, the cash prize will be shared equally by those eligible riders on the highest number of points and a countback will not be conducted.
In the event of a dead heat, the points will be split as follows:
- Dead heat for first – first 2.5 points each, third 1 point;
- Dead heat for second – first 3 points, second 1.5 points each; and
- Dead heat for third – first 3 points, second 2 points, third 0.5 points each
Following Saturday’s Caulfield meeting, the Star of the Saddle and its lucrative cash prize will be awarded to the best and fairest jockey at each of the following race meetings:
- $100,000 - Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival (The Valley, 25-26 October)
- $100,000 - AAMI Victoria Derby Day (Flemington, 2 November)
The winner of the final Star of the Saddle on AAMI Victoria Derby Day will also secure a set of four race saddles from Peter Horobin Saddlery valued at more than $3,000.
The Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival prize will incorporate the Brent Thomson Award and be awarded to the highest eligible points scorer over the 18 races of the Cox Plate Carnival incorporating Manikato Stakes Night (Friday, 25 October) and Cox Plate Day (Saturday, 26 October). The winner of the Cox Plate Carnival award will also receive a platinum whip, valued at $2,500, courtesy of Catanach’s.