IF you're looking for the best jockey to back in the Grand National then science suggests Rachael Blackmore is head and shoulders above the rest.
Not only that, but you might get more profit than you should from placing money on her.
That is according to a new study released just before punters backed 2021 winner Blackmore into favouritism.
The trailblazing Irish jockey made history by becoming the first woman to win the world's most famous race on Minella Times two years ago.
And now punters think she can do it all over again on Ain't That A Shame in Saturday's blockbuster.
The horse is now 8-1 joint-favourite with Gordon Elliott's Delta Work – with long-time ante-post favourite Corach Rambler drifting out to 9-1.
Researchers who analysed the last 20 years of jump races found a bias against women riders among punters.
That reportedly led to them missing out on bigger payouts, according to The Times.
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A study showed that when men and women jockeys had an equal chance of winning in jump racing, women's odds were more profitable.
Apparently, there wasn't any bias on Flat racing.
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The study was published in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization.
Research appeared to show that punters have increasingly underestimated the ability of female jockeys over the past ten years.
This despite the emergence of Blackmore, Bryony Frost, Katie Walsh among others over jumps and Hollie Doyle on the Flat.
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Vanessa Cashmore, who carried out the study at the University of Liverpool Management School, said: "Twenty years ago the consensus might have been that women were not strong enough or brave enough to ride over fences, but I think we assumed that we had moved on from this sort of gender bias.
"To discover that females are underestimated now, more so than ever, is both surprising and concerning."
Almost 70,000 races were analysed between 2001 and 2020.
On average, horses steered by women riders finished one place better than their odds predicted.
Cashmore added: "The results demonstrate significant underestimation of female jockeys in the betting market.
"Bettors are effectively forgoing profit by choosing not to back female riders."
Grand National odds via Coral
8-1 Ain’t That A Shame, Delta Work
9-1 Corach Rambler
11-1 Noble Yeats
12-1 Any Second Now, Mr Incredible
14-1 Gaillard Du Mesnil, Le Milos, Longhouse Poet
16-1 The Big Dog, Vanillier
18-1 Galvin
20-1 Capodanno, Our Power
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25-1 Back On The Lash, Coko Beach, Lifetime Ambition, The Big Breakaway
33-1 bar
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