are exactly what horse racing needs if it is to regain some of its popularity of years gone by.
The 27-year-old rider - son of Jonjo O’Neill who enjoyed many a moment in the spotlight when horse racing was at the height of its powers in the 1970s and 1980s thanks to the likes of Night Nurse, Dawn Run and Sea Pigeon - is currently ninth in the inaugural Jockeys’ Cup standings,
With the Jockeys’ Cup adding another dimension to the second half of the 2024/25 jumps season, O’Neill believes that it is catching the imagination of the public.
O’Neill told Sporting Life in the second of their David Power Jockeys’ Cup podcast series: “Creating new initiatives like this is what racing needs, to spice things up and get more people interested.
“It's life-changing money at the top end, and even if you're in the top 10, you're not going to say no to it.
“And I think it's definitely increased the audience a bit, and it's definitely increased our enthusiasm.”
Although the £500,000 top spot may be out of reach for the likes of O’Neill, the share of the total prize pool goes down to tenth, with the top two conditional riders also picking up separate prize money. As a result, O’Neill believes that the Flutter Group-backed competition will keep everyone’s attention right until the final day on Friday 4 April.
O’Neill explained: “You're looking at the bigger picture now. If you come in second, third, and fourth, you're still picking up points.
“So, the points are changing a lot each week, and it's making it very competitive.
“And I think it will keep chopping and changing right to the end of the season.”