Irish Stamp
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Great to see GS finally get his win - no doubt Changing Course helped matters. Will be interesting to compare the times on the chase course today 
It is in tatters.
I was just thinking today - why does Mullins think he still needs to share Ruby with Nicholls- Townend is top class. If I were lucky enough to own Hurricane Fly for example I would not want Townend off the horse under any circumstances .
Paul Townend - absolutely top mark. I thought GOLDEN SILVER looked a hell ride early on today - blundering his jumps and utterly listless for the first three-quarters of the race, before being conjured to find his skills and win. But PT never panicked - didn't start to whack away or over-correct the animal. People will say that any jockey can win on a good enough animal, but today this horse needed an intelligent, thinking ride - and got it. I was going to sing his praises after his second win, but held off as I wasn't sure where it would stop! Utterly masterful.
Mullins interview with Gary O'Brien was pretty interesting - O'Brien mentioned Townend had come in for some criticism recently (unfairly in his view) but Mullins was having none of it saying Townend gets plenty from his mounts but not necessarily in the normal "beat him silly" manner and his sympathetic style was something the trainer wanted and liked for his horses.
That sympathetic style nearly cost Gagewell Flyer the race and it was only thanks to Emmet Mullins being worse that he held on. I have sympathy for any jockey who is forced to look bad because of instructions. It ruined Tommy Treacy completely and if Mullins is happy for Townend to give horses sympathetic rides and a few get beaten when they should really win, then he should be willing to accept the criticism against that style and tell us all to f*ck off and that the owners pay the bills!! But I think Townend is like Master Minded, can be brilliant but also disappointing every now and again.
PS O'Brien's comments also suggest that I'm not the only one who thinks this way
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Cantoris, with due respect (and I mean that) but you are talking nonsense to think GF nearly lost due to Townend. He gave the horse every chance, and assistance, from the saddle.
He gave it a similar ride to Blackstairmountain although he did manage to pick up his whip at least. Looked around before the last, looked behind after the last. If you felt comfortable with a fast dimishing head victory, then that's fine. but if he got beat the blame would have fallen on Townend's shoulders. If Willie is so much into his sympathetic riding, why doesn't he tell his son he doesn't need to ride all the way to the line when he is 15 lengths clear with 100 yards to go? I think Willie is doing what any good trainer does, stands up for his jock. He's hardly going to come out and say he agrees with the critics.
What is obvious is that the second was supposed to finish second!! And that was a worse ride.
But who's to say that a more aggressive style (which is what Cantoris seems to be implying is what's wanted) suits the horses? We've seen AP's 'shove 'em into it' style deck plenty enough (and him own up to doing so), where all the horse wanted was a bit of time to find its own way over the obstacle. An amazing example of that was J. Moore aboard LORD SINGER today - very fast front-running chaser with lots of knee, in soft ground. But by Christ, one of the jumps the horse takes is probably a contender for 'Jump of the Month' - he stands a full extra stride off and flies it, taking even more lengths out of his opponents. Another rider might've thought, Christ, I'd better not let him keep that up. But the horse was full of confidence and, kept up to his attacking style, won beautifully. Conversely, I thought Townend did just the right thing on GOLDEN SILVER today - the horse was stuttery several times in his race, so he left him alone and let him wind himself up for a final attack on the front ranks, to perfect effect. You just need to respect the quirks of the nag you're on - riding is not 'one size fits all'.
I have no doubt Townend gave Golden Silver a decent ride, although the winning and losing of it was down to another jock. And I've no doubt about the quirks of some horses. That's why lady riders get on better with some horses than male riders. Or apprentices rather than professional riders. I'm simply saying that Townend is growing a habit of taking it handy. It didn't work out for him on Blackstairmountain or Johnny McGeeney, it did on Gagwell Flyer (just about). My view is that he should ride his own race whether he is ten in front, or ten behind. This sympathetic riding piece just does not work for me when Patrick is riding the living daylights out of them all the way to the line when he's 15 lengths clear. Makes no sense at all.
From the Racing Post during the week
"Runner-up Lambro somehow failed to win and all the blame has to fall on the shoulders of Paul Townend. Held up in mid-division, he made up his ground stylishly enough and was in a good position before the second-last, but his rider completely overdid the confidence bit expecting his mount to just pick up and go past whenever he wanted instead of going about his business earlier. He didn´t even really produce his stick until the last 50 yards. Townend has earned plenty of plaudits over the last couple of seasons and rightly so, but this was a poor performance by his standards."
"Runner-up Lambro somehow failed to win and all the blame has to fall on the shoulders of Paul Townend. Held up in mid-division, he made up his ground stylishly enough and was in a good position before the second-last, but his rider completely overdid the confidence bit expecting his mount to just pick up and go past whenever he wanted instead of going about his business earlier. He didn´t even really produce his stick until the last 50 yards. Townend has earned plenty of plaudits over the last couple of seasons and rightly so, but this was a poor performance by his standards."
On The Bridle
At the Start
Have to agree with that - pocket talk aside - he is trying to be way too clever - how many poor rides like this before he gets a hefty ban! Again the stewards do nothing - anyone hear what kind of reception he got afterwards?? The Golden Silver ride was what it was but Zaidpour over Christmas, Blackstairs Mountain, the one he was nearly caught on the line on, the one against McCoy and now this yesterday!! Not for me Mr Townend - more like Bellend at the moment!
And then he rodea sensible race on Mikael today. When he was interfered with two out there was a temptation to push and shove but he let the two in front go flat out. Now he hadn't the horse under him but thought he rode a sensible race. Ditto on Unaccompanied. Being critical is about highlighting the good and bad so highlighting the good here. OTB, you missed the Johnny McGeeney ride which was as bad as Blackstairmountain.
I didn't see either race. Take Master Minded and Big Zeb. Neither McCoy nor Geraghty at their vintage best on them, going too early on both. But that is a whole lot different to Townend. Neither McCoy or Geraghty were trying to win cosily.