Jockeys are a superstitious bunch when it comes to winning horse races
Photo by romavor, Public Domain
Horse racing punters spend years trying to win big at the races, but it appears they are not alone when it comes to believing in anything that can offer good fortune on race day. Many of the world’s most successful horse racing jockeys are just as superstitious as bettors. Australian jockey Chris Symons once admitted to the press that there’s “a lot of luck in winning”, which is probably why some jockeys become superstitious about their pre-race rituals.
For decades, superstition has gone hand-in-hand with gaming and punting, so it’s no surprise that horse racing is one of those sports to have some of the greatest and weirdest superstitions. With that in mind, this article is designed to shine a spotlight on some of the most commonly-talked-about superstitions in the world of horse racing, some of which are sure to put a smile on your face.
The bigger the ears, the better a horse’s racing attitude
It has been argued before that horses with longer ears than others are said to be more intelligent and have a better temperament for racing. Meanwhile, others have claimed that horses with large, floppy ears have better acceleration than their contemporaries.
Eye wrinkles are a sign of horses that make good jumpers
Some horse owners believe that visible eye wrinkles on horses are an indication of mental or physical discomfort. Researchers haven’t managed to prove this theory, but no research has yet been conducted into the notion among trainers that a horse’s eye wrinkles denote that it would make a good fence jumper for National Hunt racing.
Some owners think it’s bad luck for jockeys to ride trackwork prior to a race
Australian racehorse owner Lloyd Williams has previously intimated that he thinks it is bad luck to allow his riders to undergo trackwork with his horses prior to a big race. He claims it’s the number-one reason why Kerrin McEvoy won the 2016 Melbourne Cup aboard Almandin, without ever having ridden him before.
Magpie salutes for British jockey Sam Twiston-Davies
National Hunt jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, formerly of the Paul Nicholls stable, has a superstition of saluting any magpie that he sees aboard his horse en route to the post. It’s hard to know whether those salutes have special meaning to him or not, but, regardless, it seems to bring him good fortune, having won the Scottish Grand National back in 2017.
White tape is the key to Frankie Dettori’s success
Frankie Dettori going to the post at the 2015 Epsom Derby
Photo by monkeywing, CC BY 2.0
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After winning the Epsom Derby in 2007 and 2015, it was revealed that Frankie Dettori had applied white tape to his saddle before each victory. In 2007, it was a racing engineer that suggest he place some “lucky white tape” on his saddle aboard Authorized. Sound engineer Pete Binfield wrapped this tape around Dettori’s right stirrup, and 20 minutes later he was the eventual winner of the Epsom Derby. It was the same again on Derby day in 2015 when Dettori prevailed again with Golden Horn.
Red jerseys are very popular at Hong Kong racecourses
Given that red is deemed an incredibly lucky colour in Chinese culture, it’s little surprise that horse racing jockeys that ride on Hong Kong’s impressive racecourses clamour to wear as much red as possible. However, in the UK, a report from CNN suggests that 40% of winning riders in the Grand National have been wearing either blue or green.
All eyes are often on the parade ring
A superstition held by some horse racing punters is that the last horse to depart the parade ring for the racecourse will go on to win the race. We’re not quite sure why that may be the case—perhaps the horse is extremely relaxed and doesn’t need to go to the post early? We’re not quite sure that this theory would have worked for the madcap T-Rex racing at Emerald Downs, either! Either way, it’s certainly something that some bettors place huge importance on during a race meeting.