Comeback kid Spencer 3/1 to ride a UK Group 1 winner

Coral are offering a whole host of New Year specials on how Jamie Spencer will fare during 2015 after the two-time champion jockey decided to ditch plans to retire and continue as a freelance.

Spencer announced in August that he would be quitting at the end of the season after learning he would not be retained as the number one jockey at Qatar Racing Ltd.

The 34-year-old was expected to take a backroom role at the stables owned by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, but announced at the beginning of December that he had changed his mind and would continue to ride on a freelance basis.

Spencer shot to fame after winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas aboard Taracason in 1998 at the age of 17, and was crowned champion jockey in 2005 and 2007.

He has two UK classic successes to his name courtesy of 2003 St Leger hero Brian Boru and 2009 Oaks winner Sariska, and Coral go 12/1 about him adding to that tally in 2015.

Spencer didn’t ride a Group 1 winner in the UK during 2014, but he did have 25 or more rides for six past Group-1 winning handlers during the year.

It will be interesting to see if he can pick up some top class spare rides at the highest level in 2015, and Coral go 3/1 about him riding a UK Group 1 winner.

The firm also go 3/1 about him riding two or more winner at Royal Ascot, and a very tempting 2/1 about him riding the winner of a race on the 2015 All-Weather Finals day.

Spencer also has a Cheltenham Festival winner to his name having partnered Pizarro to victory in 2002 Champion Bumper, and Coral go 33/1 about him riding the winner of the 2015 renewal.