Sam Thomas

I'm not saying he should if he's as bad as you suggest, I don't watch enough jumps racing to have a strong view on him to be honest, other than if I'd have backed Big Bucks each way on Saturday I'd be a bit frustrated!
 
Very much so - I'm glad I wasn't on! In fairness I really don't think BB would have won, I reckon he was playing for 3rd place.

Still doesn't change the fact that Thomas is inept over a fence!
 
Because (as I said at the outset) I'm not prepared to expend the time necessary to trawl back through 3 years of every ride that Thomas has had and calculate the percentage of UR's in order to make the figures 'like for like'. If you want to do that yourself then I look forward to seeing the results in 3 months time.
Click to expand...

3 months later... :D

Some quick and dirty numbers:

From when he lost his claim up to the end of the calendar year 2007, I have:

Chases: 638
URs: 19 ~ 3.0%

Much more palatable. Wish I could include 2008 results to date, though.
 
Fitzgerald = 1.2%
Carberry = 1.5%
Fenton = 1.6%
Crowley = 1.9%
McCoy = 2.0%
Thornton R = 2.0%
Johnson = 2.2%
Thornton A = 2.2%
Williamson = 2.2%
Dobin = 2.3%
Marston = 2.3%
Walsh = 2.6%
Culloty = 2.9%
THOMAS = 3.0%+
Greene = 3.9%
Lee = 4.0%
Gerraghty = 4.0%
Durrack = 5.1%
Fehily = 5.2%


You're not seriously asking me to believe you've trawled through all that? My God I can't even find an archived result by date on this new format (had the same problem last time they altered the site lay out). Raceform Interactive or another web site? In any event 14th out of 19 wouldn't be brilliant, but I'd be surprised if he's found the 1% needed to get into the 'relegation zone' this year, even if his percentage is likely to have risen. Looks like West Ham to me, although given the ammunition he's been supplied with perhaps Newcastle United would be nearer?
 
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What is Nicholls talking about in the RP today...advice from Fergie?!? Weither the jockey rides the horse or not....Nicholls is whipping this up into a circus.
 
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The merits of Sam Thomas as a jockey are one thing, but how Paul Nicholls has handled this is another. I'm not sure what Nicholls is trying to achieve by undermining his jockey in public, and should surely defend him in public, or else move him on.

Nicholls again shows his class when the pressure is on him.
 
I'm not totally convinced by Nicholls on this either. Alright I can accept he's faced with a difficult man management issue that involves pyschology etc and that Fergusson has had to make many of these in a bigger goldfish bowl than a horse trainer, so taking his counsel is one thing, announcing that you done so to the public is another. His supposed defence of Thomas after Haydocy was also a bit double edged, though I'm not sure I'd really blame him for that. I think he needed to say something quickly on the spot and his comments were unfortunately capable of being twisted each way.

In saying Denman is a much more straight forward horse to ride, he might have been saying Kauto Star was at fault. However, many people took this to mean that Thomas was only good for riding a steering job and when faced with the intricacies of a more quirky individual, wasn't really up to it.
 
Galileo said:
What is Nicholls talking about in the RP today...advice from Fergie?!? Weither the jockey rides the horse or not....Nicholls is whipping this up into a circus.
Click to expand...

Agree. Also conveniently diverts attention away from his own shortcomings, especially with regard to his pre race comments on Big Bucks and Kauto Star.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
Of course, as Warbler admits, the selective sample size for Thomas' stats makes the whole thing a tad dubious to say the very least!
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You can say that again. Regardless of anything else, that data sample is far too small for anyone to reach any meaningful conclusions. It should be ignored.

I'm in full agreement with TDK on this, so there is no point in me repeating what he wrote.

Respectful as I am of Shadow Leader's opinions, she surely can't expect anyone to take her seriously when she describes a Gold Cup winning jockey as "inept".

I don't know much about riding horses over fences, but I am more inclined to trust the judgement of leading trainers like Paul Nicholls and Venetia Williams than that of a half-crippled, vodka-addled stable girl.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Zacharova given a perfect ride until the second last....

1.12 in running.......

Sam hits the deck... again. Seem to jusmp the fence o.k....
 
With his confidence so low and his boss not exactly supportive, I wouldn't be surprised to see more mistakes. I feel sorry for the guy, whatever his shortcomings as a jockey.

I did wonder about the set-up earlier this year when my boss met Thomas at the funeral of a mutual friend and was horrified to learn that Thomas had been told that if he took time off to attend he could pack his bags.
 
It's not just the falls or the unseats though, it seems to be his general tactics that need to be called into question too. Take the staying hurdle on Saturday, McCoy rode a fantastic race on his horse, he knew there had been no pace and kicked on and stole the race. Meanwhile Thomas held Mobaasher up and gave away far too much ground when McCoy went, he then seemed to expect his horse to sprout wings. I wasn't overly impressed with the Kicks For Free ride either!

Having said that I do feel sorry for Thomas, it's not a nice situation to be in. He just needs to not let this get to him and prove all of us wrong by regaining that winning thread again...!
 
All jockey's have tough times but what's very noticable about the coverage of Thomas this week as that it's being softly suggested in the press that he really is not good enough. I can't remember a similar situation beside maybe JP Magnier on Rhinestone Cowboy.
 
McCoy 4-11 to ride
Master Minded​


Joanne Yarborough​

TONY MCCOY has been installed 4-11 by William Hill to take over the ride on Master Minded in the Tingle Creek Chase on Saturday after Paul Nicholls' number two jockey Sam Thomas endured another day to forget on Monday.

The beleaguered rider had two rides at Folkestone but ended up on the deck in both races - first on the Venetia Williams-trained Ballyveeney in the 2m6½f handicap hurdle and then on the Williams-trained Zacharova in the 3m1f handicap chase.

Speculation as to whether Thomas would retain the ride on superstar jumper Master Minded in Saturday's Seasons Holidays-sponsored Grade 1 contest has been rife since the weekend, when the rider parted company from Big Buck's at the final fence when still in contention in the Hennessy Gold Cup. This followed a series of diastrous days in the saddle, including when falling off Kauto Star in last month's Betfair Chase.
 
I think it is scandalous for Paul Nicholls to come out and publicly state that they will not decide who will ride Master Minded until later in the week. What must this do to Sam Thomas already fragile confidence?
If they now give him the ride he will be a bag of nerves.
Good trainer he maybe, but man management………not a bit of it.
Personally I would now love to see the horse get beat.
 
I think Nicholls just loves all the fuss and being centre of attention.
Thomas will lose the ride on Masterminded and also Denman if I had to bet.
The Nicholls owners have previous form with this?

Nicholls also might be glad of this distraction to take from the fact that his superstars are failing to win and his stupid boasts are proving quite laughable.

Number of festival winners?

Don't be so sure of it
 
Nicholls is only permisve with Ruby.

I think Thomas is not a superstar but not a bad 2nd stable jockey.


by the way
McCoy is not as good as he was 5 years ago.
 
some armchair jocks here aren't there
sam thomas is a super jockey; and it makes me want to puke when i hear criticism from jerks at the racing post and the like who criticise jockeys who risk their live to bring us spectacle. Its about time we have some armchair pundit crit cos they never give us decent tips and I think sometimes they are in the pay of the bookies to mislead us lol.
paul nicholls has sometimes faced enormous critcism for sticking with jockeys like joe tizzard and chistian williams in similar situations; and it is unecessary. Eventually he capitulates to media and owner pressure; and then the lads have to prove themselves all over again. But they do dont they....look at Joe and Christian now. If sam is jocked off he will do the same; and if I would dare give paul any advice it would be to ignore everyone else, remember Denman and sam's gold cup ride; and decide with messrs Findlay and Barber.
Even Mccoy has bad weeks; and I will never forget the pig of a ride ruby gave denman at the festival a couple of years ago when he finished second and shouldve won. No jockey's perfect all the time but I have faith with sam thomas as stable jockey at least till ruby is back.
 
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