Murtagh at Ballydoyle

Probably suits him well though as he a regular job in France where he rides reasonable horses and still gets to pick and choose the good international rides too.
 
Irish Stamp said:
True but given the nature of the business it would be better to have someone promoted to the top job from within rather than have to wait 5 or 6 months to get used to how Aidan works at Ballydoyle, what he expects the jockey to tell him after work, each race etc.

Fallon lasted a couple of years, Kinane 3 or 4 (I think) and Murtagh seems to have lasted longer.
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I'm not sure about that. There is a school of thought that you have those internally that know their place and know they have no chance of getting to the top. That way, there is no reason to try to undermine the stable jock by doing something stupid. You can thing of lots of ways a devious understudy could try and get one over the retained jock in order to advance his own progression. O'Donoghue and Heffernan have no chance of being No.1, and that's why they are given plenty of opportunities at home to win group races, to keep them happy.

I also think you underestimate the ability of older, wiser jocks to adapt to their new positions and manage personalities. Sure Lester and Vincent were famous for their spats but they knew how to get on with it. They managed each other. If it only last 4 or 5 years due to age catching up or some other reason, so what. I don't think Murtagh or Kinane made many mistakes when they started off with O'Brien. I'd think there would be so much more pressure on a younger jock, anyone under 30.
 
Good points Cantoris but I'd like to think that a younger jock acting as an understudy/next stable jock would be getting the right sort of rides so that it wouldn't be in his own interests to undermine the main man, kind of like the way Mullins is with Townend/Walsh. Everyone knows that Walsh has first call on the big guns but when he's not around Townend is riding in the Grade 2 and Grade 3's domestically, getting on the second string (first string if Ruby is riding for Nicholls) in the Grade 1's and at Cheltenham.
 
I just don't think there is any pressure cooker like the one in Ballydoyle. So comparison to any other partnership is always going to be difficult. There is no place in Ballydoyle for an apprentice (unless it's Joseph :lol:), even if that apprentice is nearly good enough to take over. What O'Brien has is a retained jock and a number of trusted lieutenants and it works well for him. If a young buck came in, how would Heffernan and O'Donoghue feel? No group 1s as they would be on the third and fourth strings. The relationship Ruby has with Nicholls and Mullins is pretty unique and just goes to show what they both think of him. Townend has benefitted from that but it's a completely different set up. It's not as if Emmet Mullins and David Casey fill the same roles as Heffernan and O'Donoghue.
 
I have gone for a right touch on Joshua Tree in the Grade 1 at Woodbine.I am fairly certain the 7s I took won't be available at the off.
 
Well done Luke, looks like he got it. Haze at Woodbine is awful, can barely see what colours each horse has!
 
Held on well enough, really needed the line. I think the horse barely gets 12 furlongs.

Great ride from O'Donoghue.
 
I'd say I have won enough to get a betting account closed.I had such a good vibe that I rang a couple of friends during the x factor to make sure they got on.
 
Regarding Joshua Tree, looks like just a share has been sold. He is now registered as owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Attyah.
 
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