Jockey challenge betting is a fixed-odds bet on which jockey scores the most points across a race meeting, or across a carnival series, from their winning and placed rides. Under the NSW events betting rules that govern it for NSW-authorised bookmakers, a winning ride scores 3 points, a second 2 and a third 1, and the most points wins (clause 5.2.10.8).
Every ride can score, so start from the race card, which how to bet on horse racing shows how to read; horse racing bet types and horse racing betting cover single-race bets.
How jockey challenge points are awarded
Under the NSW rules:
- Points go to the jockey who actually rides the placed horse. A rider replaced by the Stewards scores nothing for that ride, and there is no refund (5.2.10.8).
- Points stand even if a horse is later disqualified (5.2.10.11).
Racing NSW's jockey challenge policy (updated March 2011) uses the same scale. Bookmakers elsewhere set their own, so check your bookmaker's terms; the tally below uses this scale as an illustration.
A worked points tally
With an illustrative eight-race meeting and four jockeys, A to D:
| Race | First (3) | Second (2) | Third (1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | C | D |
| 2 | B | A | Other |
| 3 | Other | D | A |
| 4 | C | Other | B |
| 5 | A | B and C, dead heat, 1.5 each | No third |
| 6 | D | A | C |
| 7 | B | Other | Other |
| 8 | B | Other | A |
Totals: A 3 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 12 and B 3 + 1 + 1.5 + 3 + 3 = 11.5. C 2 + 3 + 1.5 + 1 = 7.5 and D 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. A wins by half a point, and $20 on A at $3.40 returns $20 x 3.40 = $68.00.
Dead heats and scratched rides
- Under the NSW rules a dead heat shares the points for the places tied: two jockeys who dead-heat for second take 1.5 each and nobody scores for third, as in race 5 (5.2.10.9).
- A tie on points at the end settles as a dead heat: face value divided by the number tied, times the places they fill (5.2.10.10 and 5.1.8). Had B run second outright in race 5, B would have finished on 12, level with A, and the bet on A would return $68.00 / 2 x 1 = $34.00. Dead heat rules covers ties in other bets.
- A scratched ride is one chance fewer, not a refund. Queensland's Wagering Rule makes jockeys' challenge bets play and pay, with a full refund if the bet was accepted after the jockey withdrew from the challenge, or the challenge is postponed or cancelled before it starts (s 29). They apply where the operator's own published description is silent on the point (s 13).
- If races are abandoned, bets are refunded unless the leader holds an unassailable lead (NSW 5.2.10.5; Queensland s 29(3)). With two races left on a 3-point scale, only a lead of more than 6 points is safe.
Reading a jockey's rides
A jockey's price reflects all their rides at once, so the win prices of those rides are a rough guide. Illustrative rides at $3.00, $5.00 and $8.00 imply 1 / 3.00 + 1 / 5.00 + 1 / 8.00 = about 0.66 expected wins before the bookmakers' margins come out. The Terminal shows prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports, next to Betfair back and lay, so you can check each ride's win price race by race. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds. Betfair is a trade mark of its owner, and B337 is not affiliated with it.
Risk: Betting involves risk. One race can swing a jockey challenge, a tie on points halves a winning bet, and there is no guarantee of profit. See responsible gambling for limits and support.