John Hurt was 5'9" tall. The average height for jockeys is between 4'10" and 5'6". That puts him well outside the normal size for a jockey. Unfortunately, this meant I had great trouble suspending my disbelief while watching this film. Also, at the age of 44, he seemed much too old to be playing this role. Don't get me wrong - John Hurt is a fine actor, but he was sadly miscast in this movie.
One other small thing I noticed: at one point, during an early scene in the hospital (the camera is tracking down a corridor), there is a one-line female voiceover that is supposed to be the doctor speaking. The voice didn't sound anything like the voice of Judy Parfitt, who played Dr Merrow. I could swear it was Judi Dench's voice. It seemed like the line had been added in post-production, so this is a plausible theory.
The film is certainly worth watching, nevertheless, especially for horse and racing fans.
