Sam Thomas

Like Hutchy and Dave Dent, I find the sniping at Thomas in the press very distasteful. He was good enough last year to be dubbed "Super Sub" by the same writers now trying to whip up a story by putting him down.

Venetia Williams saw enough potential to take him on as a conditional and that lady is no mug. Paul Nicholls saw enough potential to offer him the post of second jockey.

It's a dangerous sport and confidence plays a large part in split-second decision making. When confidence is high everything goes swimmingly, when confidence is low due to a bad run everything goes wrong. Thomas is having a hard enough time without all the snide remarks from the press.

Wonder who he's upset?
 
Dave Dent,

Are you therefore suggesting that all discussion (and based on opinion, criticism) is not to be welcomed here or elsewhere because none of us (presumably) are professional jockeys?
 
rorydelargy said:
Rumours that a certain blonde woman can be seen sticking pins int was dolls during big races cannot be verified.
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To lighten the mood somewhat - so is this bit of gossip the real reason why Sam's not riding the winners ?!? Can we expect a NOTW style Sunday expose a la Ramsay. Can you enlighten us further Rory ?! :)
 
McCoy rides Master Minded according to the Sporting Life website (which has a novel approach for a website, being that it actually loads!).
 
I'd imagine the owner has the final say. Here is the problem, Sam Thomas is not good enough to ride the stable star but he is good enough for the other owners.
 
Clive Smith has come across quite bad during all this, drip feeding comments to the press which have made Thomas' position on Master Minded impossible.
 
This isnt about a jockeys ego or confidence, least of all about their career

Its about winning the race and maximising the chances of doing so

I have nothing against ST but do not feel "sorry" for him at all. Cricketers and Footballers have to accept the chop when confidence is low and sometimes even when they frankly havent done a lot wrong. Thats the way it is

Isnt it clear that jockeys are employed to do a job and if there is any doubt about their ability to do so to the max, especially in highly important races, then the risk cannot be taken. Obviously factors have to be weighed up but you would think from some of the posts above that Saturday is about getting Sam smiling again rather than winning a 2mile grade one chase
 
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Smith was quoted this morning as saying something along the lines of " you have to wonder why horses keep falling with him " .

The writing has been on the wall since KS's fall .
 
I don't remember anything wrong with Ruby's ride on Denman that day - Nicanor just showed a better turn of foot and Nicholls said afterwards Denman wasn't right .
 
Without wishing ill on any horse or jockey, If Master Minded gets an F or a U besides his name on Saturday.....
 
I'll second both sentiments in that sentence..

I happen to think Tidal Bay will win, and is the each way bet of the season if 8 or more run.
 
Rather pathetic to want to see a top horse fall because of perceived slights on a jockey whos clearly not at the top of his game (although could have been handled more discreetly)

This has everything to do with the identity of the connections rather than anything to do with Sam Thomas
 
clivex said:
Rather pathetic to want to see a top horse fall because of perceived slights on a jockey whos clearly not at the top of his game (although could have been handled more discreetly)

This has everything to do with the identity of the connections rather than anything to do with Sam Thomas
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I think (in fact sure) Gearoid was stating that if the horse fell or unseated on Saturday after all the hoo haa things would look even worse. He did not state he wanted the horse to fall....in fact he clearly stated he did not!
 
I'd go as far to say that in the next edition of the Oxford dictionary there would be a new entry under the word ironic....
 
There is no question that AP is the best around and replacing ST with AP will be seen as the best thing to do. It's not so much the jocking off that I object too it's the way that it's been done that gets my goat. These drip drip hints to the press leave a nasty taste in the mouth.

Clivex said
"I have nothing against ST but do not feel "sorry" for him at all. Cricketers and Footballers have to accept the chop when confidence is low and sometimes even when they frankly havent done a lot wrong. Thats the way it is"

There is a difference though. If Sir Alex Ferguson is dropping a player he will tell him face to face and give him the reasons he will not drop hints to the press and undermine the players confidence because Saturday week he might want that player back in the team.
 
Spot on, granger. The feeding frenzy this seems to have created (though admittedly not helped by Nicholls and the owner's comments) has been bordering on the ridiculous
 
There is a difference though. If Sir Alex Ferguson is dropping a player he will tell him face to face and give him the reasons he will not drop hints to the press and undermine the players confidence
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A lot of managers (even top ones) are well known for not giving a player the reasons why they are dropped. But thats not to say its right

But agree with above granger and trackside, this has been hugely overblown
 
I can understand the decision but if I was Sam I would feel deeply upset about it. A year ago things went well but he has been dropped with a bang. A few horses its fair to say he could have stayed on (Big Bucks) but I would pose more questions to Nicholls training operation for so many of his horses to be making errors, it can't be solely blamed on Sam he doesn't panic coming to a fence and is one of a few jockeys that does produce horses right to pop one, admit when he asks his horses to find a stride many have been putting down on him, but that can go down to poor education.

The problem that will arrise on Saturday is if Master Minded wins, will Sam Thomas struggle to get on the good ones, Ruby is expected to be back at Cheltenham but personally I feel he is rushing back in under a month and could risk doing more serious damage. Then if he did hurt himself who would take the main bulk of rides, or is the dawn coming for AP to leave Jonjo and establish himself as a joint number one at Ditcheat or perhaps replace Ruby altogether ???

Christian Williams has also been asked to ride out there for the first time in ages suggesting he could be about to have a chance to get his old 2nd job back.

I feel a bit sorry for Sam who is a really nice lad who tries his best and can always give good feedback about a horse.
 
Relks, you cheely fuck - stable girl?!? :lol:

Of course you're always welcome to join me next time that I'm scooling at home - I can find you a quiet horse to ride....

I happen to agree that this has been handled badly. In general it is the job of a trainer to remain loyal to their retained jockey, not least when said jockey is being mauled by the press, rightly or wrongly.

Having said that, speaking as an owner myself (who wouldn't give a ride to Thomas if he was the only jockey left on the bench) I always want what is best for my horses both at home and on the track. I wouldn't dream of putting up a jockey who I feel is dodgy to say the least when jumping a fence, nor would I dream of letting some half baked idiot who is a dodgy rider get on them at home (especially when schooling them, in the early days or riding work) so I can fully understand why Smith doesn't want Thomas on the horse. It is also not (as I've heard some people say) Nicholls' prerogative to insist that the owners put up the stable jockey since the owner does actually pay the bills, along with any vets bills incurred from the likes of falls!

I am very much of the opinion that even though IMO Thomas isn't much good over an obstacle and provides little assistance from the saddle, particularly with dodgy or tricky jumpers, that at the moment his confidence is so bad that he is worse than ever and literally putting them on the floor, which is dangerous in a job like this. I think that Thomas should take a few days off raceriding, try and get his head together and take a trip to see Yogi Breisner. Yogi can sit him down with replays of what he does over an obstacle, show him exactly where he is going wrong and give him advice as to how to improve things as well as get him out on a horse and give him tuition over fences. That in itself will help to restore confidence which he desperately needs.
 
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