The Grand National is one of the toughest tests in horse racing, requiring nerves of steel and reserves of stamina from jockeys as they guide their charges over the towering fences.
But punters having a flutter on the biggest day for betting in British horse racing would improve their chances of winning big if they backed a female jockey, a new study has shown.
Researchers who analysed the last 20 years of jump races found a bias against women riders among gamblers, leading them to miss out on bigger payouts.
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Blackmore with A Plus Tard at the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse
DAVID DAVIES/PA
The study showed that when male and female jockeys had equal chances of winning in jump racing, the women’s odds were more profitable.
