Murtagh at Ballydoyle

If the jockeys are forced to ride to instructions by AOB, and it appears that everybody thinks that Johnny was doing a good job, no obvious mistakes, no races lost that should have been won, then we may deduce that AOB is pretty good with his instructions. Just a thought :)
 
You can't argue against that logic, Sequoyah. I'm sure that the feedback from work riding (whether by JM himself or other work riders), what AOB has noted every morning, and what he'd expect his horses to do based on their pedigrees and home performances, has formed some sort of teamwork. But if it's unrelentingly intense all the time, and one imagines that it probably is, it's too confining an atmosphere. I'm making this bit up, but I can imagine that AOB's the sort of fellow who'd phone you any time of day or night to run an idea past you about running a horse in a couple of days.

"I've been thinking about Schnorbitz at Down Royal, Johnny, and... "

"Aidan, I'm just bathing the nipper, and I've got one of them down with the squits, can I call you back later?"

"Well, it's like this, Johnny, won't take a minute. If we just put him in midfield no more than half a length off Gosden's colt, three-quarters of a length off the Aga's, and perhaps ease him just a length up by the four, maybe going to two lengths by four and a quarter... Johnny? Johnny? Oh dear, I seem to have lost the line... "
 
I might get an offer myself before they offer it to Berry.

Also, I don't believe that the riding instructions employed by Ballydoyle jocks have been good and I also believe that the wrong horses have been sent to the wrong races over the last couple of Seasons. I have voiced this opinion before.
 
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Soumillon has ruled himself out, not that he was ever a runner despite being fav.

This looks like a O'Donoghue/Heffernan domestic job with using the best available abroad until they convince Moore!
 
I don't think so but given Buick has only recently joined Gosden's and he's young and will want to repay faith there, he's very unlikely.

Peslier is a million given his retainer in France, just imagine him riding some US Ranger style dog in the BC Mile against Goldikova.
 
Canford Cliffs is likely to represent Coolmore in the Breeders Mile next year, though Richard Hughes would be riding.
 
He won't be in the Ballydoyle colours next year though will he? Thought he'd be staying under existing ownership in the racecards.
 
Gamla Stan said:
Soumillon has ruled himself out, not that he was ever a runner despite being fav.

This looks like a O'Donoghue/Heffernan domestic job with using the best available abroad until they convince Moore!
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convince Moore to leave a really good job where he is happy to go to one where he will be unhappy very quickly

thats more ridiculous than Berry being offered it
 
Gamla Stan said:
He won't be in the Ballydoyle colours next year though will he? Thought he'd be staying under existing ownership in the racecards.
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It is a Coolmore retainership rather than a Ballydoyle retainership - in saying that I am pretty sure Hughes will keep the ride.
 
AOB strikes me as an odd little man who happens to be very good with horses. Judging by the program they did on him, he seems to have plenty of long serving staff, his Coolmore relationship seems as strong as ever and his family have yet to walk out on him. Contributors here seem to have him labelled as some mega domineering tyrant. I'm sure he'd get on with most, although human nature dictates probably not all, jockeys. Most sportspersonages at the top of their game are quite happy to leave no stone unturned as they strive to get as near perfection as their ability allows, although egos regularly get in the way in all team situations among groups of top sportspeople where roles within the team overlap.
 
Heffernan is still 10/1 and William Hill are still pricing 6 jockeys ahead of him in the betting who have NO chance of getting the job. Three runners left. O'Donoghue, Spencer or Heffernan. The rest do not count.
 
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The reason I'd have my doubts about the above is that I think it would take Fallon no more than two and a half seconds to mull it over. Unless Coolmore were putting restrictions on him such as regular blood tests and restrictions on who he could associate with publically. He certainly would make a nice stop-gap until someone like Buick stepped up. I think he is the equal of Moore and ahead of the rest. Whether you accept that or not, it's hard to argue that Coolmore would ever be at much of a disadvantage having him ride for them.
 
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Melendez said:
The reason I'd have my doubts about the above is that I think it would take Fallon no more than two and a half seconds to mull it over. Unless Coolmore were putting restrictions on him such as regular blood tests and restrictions on who he could associate with publically. He certainly would make a nice stop-gap until someone like Buick stepped up. I think he is the equal of Moore and ahead of the rest. Whether you accept that or not, it's hard to argue that Coolmore would ever be at much of a disadvantage having him ride for them.
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I'd agree with you but they barely used him this year when they had chances to.
 
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