Irish Apprentice Title

Soba said:
Just on the Event riders and Jockeys subject... if I dare.

Does anyone else remember a Grand National feature where the jocks took on the event riders over the National fences and then over a cross country course? If memory serves me right the event riders rode Aintree really well (apart from one poor horse that was fatally injured?) and the jockeys struggled with the cross country course. In fact they were pretty terrified when they were doing it and one of the jocks went an absolute pearler on a downhill obstacle.
I actually think with regards to timing and judge of pace when riding the event riders are a tad better. They have to be if you think about it as they ride to specific timings. Going too slow and tot up penalties, too fast and they can balls it up. If you round up all the skills up that either set of riders use then of course three day event comes out on top but as for race riding then obviously the jocks do.

Horses for courses.....:whistle:

As for the subject matter, he's 17 and learning. If in another ten years he is the same then I might have a wee pop at him myself but he's still a kid and I think to have a go at him at this time in his life is a tad harsh if I'm being honest. There is no way Magnier & Co would be putting him up if he was a total loss, they wouldn't be that daft regardless of the lads connections surely?
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I remember it - cos wasnt it The Dun Thing that died ( at the canal turn iirc ??!!)
 
Young Joseph had an outstanding week at Galway-would be leading jockey by numbers only for an all out Smullen drive in the maiden.
 
Sheikh said:
Didn't have a bet and Robin hood would have won anyway but the blatant team tactics was very annoying for me. Heffernan very obviously steared his mount over pushing Welds out wide. Fxxk Sake..cheating in a 7f maiden race at Galway. These fella's represent arguably the biggest breeding establishment in the World and they behave like there at a pony meet.
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Just to point out that if you believe the above, then Heffernan had every chance to do the same today. Riding the stable second string, Harrisons Cove, he tracked his stablemate into the straight. He could have let his mount edge out to push Hasty Katie out wider but kept a true line. In fact he did his best to keep the horse on track.
 
Cantoris said:
Just to point out that if you believe the above, then Heffernan had every chance to do the same today. Riding the stable second string, Harrisons Cove, he tracked his stablemate into the straight. He could have let his mount edge out to push Hasty Katie out wider but kept a true line. In fact he did his best to keep the horse on track.
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I wasn't suggesting it was a policy but to my eye in Galway he deliberately interphered with the Weld horses line. I don't think he set out to do it but when the opportunity presented itself he quite clearly let the horse do what it tends to do and encouraged it to drift left. He even gave the horse a couple of smacks to keep it going in the wrong direction before switching back in.

he tracked his stablemate into the straight. He could have let his mount edge out to push Hasty Katie out wider but kept a true line.
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The above suggests to me that you know what I am refering to. Either way I won't be categorising your view as 'Cobblers' even If I thinks it's 'bollocks' ;)
 
It's not an ignore list, it's a hit you with an iron bar if he ever sees you at the races list... :D
 
Hamm said:
It's not an ignore list, it's a hit you with an iron bar if he ever sees you at the races list... :D
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Only if you mentioned Big Zeb :lol:

Should we have a warm up Hamm before the start of the national hunt season? :whistle:
 
A fine double for Ballydoyles number one jockey tonight and what a contrast the two rides were. In the Group 3 Desmond Stakes he won with the assistance of his 5lb claim to hold off the staying on Dandy Boy. In the opening fillys maiden he had the assistance of his 5lb and the non-trying Johnny Murtagh who he replaced unknown to anyone as stable jockey this season.
 
Murtagh hasn't ridden Why yet in three runs. Admittedly he had reasons the last two times but I wonder is she a little difficult and ditto with Bethoven. Smullen wasn't overly bothered about winning the first either. I'd say they think a lot of that filly. Dandy Boy will improve in that company when he learns to settle. Not sure the winner had too much left in the locker and Dandy Boy def one to watch, maybe in a bigger field race or indeed if stepped into group 2. He could be the type that does better the better the race.
 
I thought Dandy Boy lookf the last horse off the bit and a real eye catcher. The stable is flying though.
 
Gearoid said:
A fine double for Ballydoyles number one jockey tonight and what a contrast the two rides were. In the Group 3 Desmond Stakes he won with the assistance of his 5lb claim to hold off the staying on Dandy Boy. In the opening fillys maiden he had the assistance of his 5lb and the non-trying Johnny Murtagh who he replaced unknown to anyone as stable jockey this season.
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He couldn't use his 5lb claim in the Group race.
 
Cantoris said:
Murtagh hasn't ridden Why yet in three runs. Admittedly he had reasons the last two times but I wonder is she a little difficult and ditto with Bethoven. Smullen wasn't overly bothered about winning the first either. I'd say they think a lot of that filly. Dandy Boy will improve in that company when he learns to settle. Not sure the winner had too much left in the locker and Dandy Boy def one to watch, maybe in a bigger field race or indeed if stepped into group 2. He could be the type that does better the better the race.
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I thought Beethoven did it comfortably enough. Hands and heels for Joseph O'Brien and he's not normally slow to give them a slap. Then again, Beethoven might just be a bit of a rogue that resents the stick. In the circumstances, I thought he gave him a lovely ride when it would have been easy to panic once O'Donoghue came at him.
 
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Narcotic Nora said:
Beethoven might just be a bit of a rogue that resents the stick.
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:thumbsup:

I'm sure that's why O'Brien had the ride on those two horses. The filly in the first certainly didn't look straigtforward near the finish. And Beethoven carries his head very high. At the end of the day, people are wondering why Murtagh did not ride them. In the context of the overall season, it was a maiden and a Group 3. Hardly worth losing sleep over. However, it has to be said, the only reason he was allowed to ride Beethoven was because of daddy. I cannot see O'Donoghue riding him if JP wasn't there. It would have been Murtagh, whether he got on with the horse or not. That's not JP's fault, he's only taking advantage of the situation he is priveleged to be in. I tell ya, hundreds of apprentices would die to be in JPs position.
 
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