Aintree Thursday

There is a difference between interferring with a horse and presenting it correctly at a fence. Too often Carruthers has got Batchelor out of trouble. If the horse was in another yard he would probably have already lost the ride.

Doubts about Wishfull Thinking appeared well founded. Second tip for Richard Johnson when riding in a very competitive handicap don't sit relatively still while allowing about a dozen horses to overtake. Seriously, the horse appears to travel better for Giles Hawkins.
 
Somersby was being checked over at the start and the SL reports Thornton as saying he was kicked at the start and then it was a disaster. He certainly did not jump anywhere near as well as he can . I suppose he trotted up sound but perhaps he was feeling it .

He apparently told Hen to put a line through it - I suspect the line will be being put through his name - I was amazed AP was not back on board . The horse jumped far better for him at Sandown than for Thornton.

I agree that Batchelor once again showed that Carruthers was too good a horse for him to be riding.
 
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Not a good punting day but could have been a lot worse.

Kicking myself for not going ahead and backing Chaninbar - it was just off the top of my ratings with a '+p' but I felt committed enough with Chapo and WMB.

I thought Ruby completely ballsed up Pistolet Noir's race. Should have pist up.
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- my pocket talking.
 
krizon said:
Battie's well used to the horse and you're saying that the trainer hasn't the nous to use someone else? I don't think Mattie did anything wrong. If he'd let WAF go on and the horse had won easily, you'd all be saying what a plonker he was, anyway. He's not the sort of rider who interferes with horses if they've hit their rhythm - CARRUTHERS can pretty much sort himself out and doesn't seem to need someone to indicate his take-off line to him.
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I can't agree at all, Kri, really I can't. Batchelor gave him a bad ride all round and just confirms for me why he doesn't get many rides. Nevermind not interfering with the horse coming into the fences; he clearly can't see a stride nor help the horse out at all and sits there frozen and steeling himself for the inevitable blunder once the horse works out how he's going to get him out of trouble this time. He looked like a very inexperienced kid having his first ride in a point to point, a very poor show.
 
Hamm said:
Yes, the way he jumped the last, low, was great. I know I'll be shot down but I maintain (as I did after the Arkle) he would have beaten SE without that mistake, but fully appreciate the horse who jumps best deserves to win. Lovely horse and delighted he's starting to fulfill his potential.
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You are 100 per cent wrong.If Mad Max hadn't made that mistake at Cheltenham Sizing would have won the race easier.I was delighted with MM's performance but it boosts the Arkle form.
 
Maybe, maybe not. It poses the question at the very least.

I suspect Mad Max could have the higher rating come season end.
 
Just back from the course. Pretty awful day on the punting front as I couldn't resist Me Voici despite the drying ground, went in hard on Nacarat (deciding against a cover on What a Friend) and then saw Chapoturgeon brought down in front of the stands with my money on him (hope he's ok as a similar thing happened to Casey Jones at the Festival.)

I've not been for a few years and they've stopped doing those stalls you get that sell books, paintings and what not. It's just a beer and burger joint now. Prefer Haydock.
 
Hamm said:
Maybe, maybe not. It poses the question at the very least.

I suspect Mad Max could have the higher rating come season end.
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So you think Mad Max is better than you initially thought after the Arkle? You were pretty dismissive of what Sizing Europe achieved based on how close Mad Max got to him.

I am pretty sure SE will take on the big boys at Punchestown and run with plenty of credit.
 
No - I thought he was plenty good enough but didn't think with the mistake he made he should have been able to get so close if the winner was top class. I imagine Mad Max will be higher rated the more i think of it so it will be interesting the next time they meet.
 
Treetangle - have you actually bothered to look at CARRUTHERS and Mattie's history? The horse has only ever been ridden by him - 14 starts, of which there are 6 wins and 4 seconds. That's 10/14, inc. G1 and G2 contests, and a total near enough to £140,000 won since May 2007. Now, if that's your idea of not presenting a horse correctly, I imagine most jockeys are glad they don't ride for you! Whaddya want - blood?
 
Not sure why you are aiming your comments directly at me when at least three people have disagreed with your view.

Having followed him from the start I suspect I know all about the record. Most of those victories came early in this career and were down to the natural ability of the horse rather than anything Batchelor did. The horse would almost certainly have a better record had he been ridden by a better jockey.
 
treetangle said:
Not sure why you are aiming your comments directly at me when at least three people have disagreed with your view.

Having followed him from the start I suspect I know all about the record. Most of those victories came early in this career and were down to the natural ability of the horse rather than anything Batchelor did. The horse would almost certainly have a better record had he been ridden by a better jockey.
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Precisely - there have any number of examples of high class animals winning despite their jockey's best efforts.
 
krizon said:
Treetangle - have you actually bothered to look at CARRUTHERS and Mattie's history? The horse has only ever been ridden by him - 14 starts, of which there are 6 wins and 4 seconds. That's 10/14, inc. G1 and G2 contests, and a total near enough to £140,000 won since May 2007. Now, if that's your idea of not presenting a horse correctly, I imagine most jockeys are glad they don't ride for you! Whaddya want - blood?
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Krizon,
His race record is not linked to the ability of the jockey presenting a horse at the fence. Anyone could see how awful Batchelor was at the last yesterday, and it removed Carruther's chances of winning.

You seem keen to dismiss that someone who has actually researched their point of view in several threads, this and the weighing of horses ones spring to mind.
 
krizon said:
Treetangle - have you actually bothered to look at CARRUTHERS and Mattie's history? The horse has only ever been ridden by him - 14 starts, of which there are 6 wins and 4 seconds. That's 10/14, inc. G1 and G2 contests, and a total near enough to £140,000 won since May 2007. Now, if that's your idea of not presenting a horse correctly, I imagine most jockeys are glad they don't ride for you! Whaddya want - blood?
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Kri, with all due respect, there is one major reason he get's the ride and that's his relationship with the owner. It's not because he's the best jockey for the job.
 
Aragorn said:
there is one major reason he get's the ride and that's his relationship with the owner.
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They say love is blind but it's also funny how blind owners can be when a horse needs a jockey change.....as we found out ourselves....some horses just outgrow their jocks in terms of ability and the best should have the best on board.
 
Yep, and I think there are decent races to be won with Carruther's - he'd have every chance in a race like the Golc Cup at punchestown.
 
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