With regard to jockeys, I think that great horses will win regardless of the jockey... Donkeys will run last regardless of who's riding them.

But there are a lot of inbetweens where the jockey makes a big difference. A few weeks ago I saw an average jockey make a mistake midrace that cost the horse the race. I had $100 on it at 12's, and I wasn't happy - it went down by a nostril in a photo. Could a top jockey have made the same mistake? Certainly! But the average / poorer jockeys are more likely to make those mistakes in my opinion.

Privateer, you say that the top jockeys will make their decisions much quicker... How much quicker? One or two strides could mean the difference between a win and a 4th in a lot of races.

If it's a contest between an average horse with a good jockey, and a good horse with an average jockey, I know which one I'll put my money on every time.

Cheers,
Chris.