Philip Robinson

D

davidjohnson

At the Start
Joined
Jun 29, 2007
Messages
3,434
How does he continue to keep the job at Jarvis'? It can only be blind loyalty. Libel Law is just the latest in a long, long line of horses that were almost certainly best in the race but he fails to settle and then looks as weak as a kitten on. Surely time for the man to hang up his boots and biow out gracefully before he further tarnishes a deserved reputation as one of the best over the last 15/20 years.
 
Probably in the top 5 jockeys riding at the moment!

The best judge of pace around and usually gives a horse every chance, Libel Law was pulling uncontrollably and did well to finish as close as he did given that.
 
I think it's a good 2 years since I've seen Robinson dictate from the front like he used to be so good at.
 
Well said, DJ. I've been thinking the same recently and my criticisms of Robinson exactly mirror yours i.e. he struggles to get horses to settle and he looks extremely weak in a finish.
 
He's certainly a great judge of pace on those name your own price and stake Jarvis drifters. They go off like trains and stop as if shot dead a furlong out.
 
I have to agree with dj I'm afraid, crazy horse. Robinson was always very good at settling them and as he says, some jockeys are better at settling horses than others. When they're riding badly or with little confidence jockeys find their ability to settle one is far less effective. So much to do with the way a jockey is riding is through confidence - they lose it and regain it in phases. Some never regain it, of course!

It also has to be said that in general the flat boys do a terrible job compared to the NH lot - in every single flat race at lesat half the field tends to go down to post in a right state. The hands on a lot of these flat boys are horrendous and now the subject comes up, a few times this season I've noticed on calling "good hands!" that Robinson has been one of those.

Oh, and yes - I've tried hundreds of times to settle a puller as well! Sometimes successfully and sometimes not....!
 
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well, if a horse does not want to cooperate there is nothing in world any jockey can do, thats how i see it. sure enough there are good and bad jockeys, and some with better "hands" than others, and some with more brain then others. like SL said, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I thought myself that jarvis is not enjoying the best of times at mo, but would never dream of blaming the jockey. then again 18% strike rate this season isnt that bad.

@and no, dj, my name is not Hannon, thank you very much. Eaten a clown this morning, have you?
 
I think the reason Jarvis' horses seem to pull so much these days is down to the lack of good riders at home. I have a friend who rides out there and she said there are some bad pilots there now so if your horse isn't learning to settle at home there isn't much chance its going to change its mind once it gets on the racetrack.
 
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