Soumillion loses Aga Khan retainer

Too much to hope for probably, but wouldn't it be marvellous if Soumillon was to start riding regularly in the UK? The presence of this flamboyant superstar with his rock-star persona could be just the shot in the arm that the ailing flat-racing scene here needs.

With all respect to Moore, Fallon, etc., they are not the sort of personalities who would ever grip the public imagination whereas Soumillon most definitely is.
 
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michael_o said:
Too much to hope for probably, but wouldn't it be marvellous if Soumillon was to start riding regularly in the UK? The presence of this flamboyant superstar with his rock-star persona could be just the shot in the arm that the ailing flat-racing scene here needs.

With all respect to Moore, Fallon, etc., they are not the sort of personalities who would ever grip the public imagination whereas Soumillon most definitely is.
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I’m sick enough with Dettori’s antics, I can’t get too little of Soumillon’s pointing up his arse and licking it carry on… Give me the likes of Kinane or McCoy any day.
 
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SteveM said:
I’m sick enough with Dettori’s antics, I can’t get too little of Soumillon’s pointing up his arse and licking it carry on… Give me the likes of Kinane or McCoy any day.
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That's what racing needs, uncharismatic personalities.

Folk like Dettori and Soumillon are going to appeal to new fans more than Kinane and McCoy any day of the week. In any other sport, celebrating at the top level as soon as the event is over is guaranteed. You rarely see emotion from McCoy or Kinane when they win a big race.
 
Im a huge fan of Soumillon and it would be great news if he gets ride over in the UK more, even better if he can get a gig over here. Soumillon would definitely be a plus, he is a personality and no one would have got to wheere has, won so many big races if he wasnt talented. Also, his missus is not bad....
 
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Lemaire confirmed as new Aga Khan retainer but he'll be riding Niarchos horses over Aga Khan horses in 2010.

Suspect the Aga Khan may have a considerable amount of horses with Rouget going forward too.
 
I much prefer Lemaire. Soumi is clearly very talented around Longchamp but I cannot think of many rides where his skill in the saddle was the sole difference between winning and losing?
 
I thinking the sacking was the right move. Even if Soumillon is a brilliant jockey he was in a professional relationship with Fabre and the Aga Khan and his comments compromised it. Sack him and everyone can move on.
 
Racing's somehow managed to survive until now without the need for grandstanding by its jockeys. I don't recall anecdotes about the late and great waving, pointing to their arses like football hooligans and generally behaving like dickheads. Are we so obsessed by phoney 'celebrity culture' (surely a contradiction in terms?) that no sport has to go without some twonk detracting from the merits of the horses? Results speak for themselves - they were enough for Piggott, Eddery, Swinburn et al in their day. They ought to be enough now. And if you think Ryan's a tad taciturn - ever try to get a crowd-pleasing grin and cheery salute from Lester? Come on!
 
I am a huge fan of Lemaire both personally and professionally,he is a gentleman and 100% dedicated to his career.Soumillon butchers horses with the whip,ive seen the marks on horses after hes ridden them in races and its shocking.
 
krizon said:
Racing's somehow managed to survive until now without the need for grandstanding by its jockeys. I don't recall anecdotes about the late and great waving, pointing to their arses like football hooligans and generally behaving like dickheads. Are we so obsessed by phoney 'celebrity culture' (surely a contradiction in terms?) that no sport has to go without some twonk detracting from the merits of the horses? Results speak for themselves - they were enough for Piggott, Eddery, Swinburn et al in their day. They ought to be enough now. And if you think Ryan's a tad taciturn - ever try to get a crowd-pleasing grin and cheery salute from Lester? Come on!
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The aforementioned jockeys were riding in a considerably less media heavy environment. We have 24 hour news and 24 hour racing channels with 24 hour internet access to videos, replays, interviews and info. Hence why there is a need to be more appealing to the public and media now than there was in their day.
 
Gamla Stan said:
The aforementioned jockeys were riding in a considerably less media heavy environment. We have 24 hour news and 24 hour racing channels with 24 hour internet access to videos, replays, interviews and info. Hence why there is a need to be more appealing to the public and media now than there was in their day.
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There was greater coverage of racing on BBC and ITV in the 60s and 70s than there is now.
 
There was a much bigger journalistic presence in the 'old' days at the tracks - scribblers were there representing all the major newspapers, the Sporting Life and the RP. One can hardly begin to compare the breathless, inane soundbite of today as a jockey comes back up the horsewalk with the proper write-ups that their rides would get post-race in the past. Asking "How does that feel?" every time one of them won a decent race would probably have got the idiot asking it the reply s/he deserved. While there's plenty of film of races nowadays, thanks to satellite and cable, that doesn't actually mean there's any better quality to the interviews and insights that the media obtain - in fact, quite the opposite, due to crammed schedules. You're lucky to even see the day's fare prior to it being shoved into the stalls, let alone get a decent written review of the racing in your newspaper, while, judging by the excoriation of so many presenters on this and other forums, we're no better off by having the daily plethora of talking heads now on our screens.
 
To cap a nice few weeks for Soumi he has gone and broken his elbow.....out of action for a considerable period of time now.
 
Gamla Stan said:
That's what racing needs, uncharismatic personalities.

Folk like Dettori and Soumillon are going to appeal to new fans more than Kinane and McCoy any day of the week. In any other sport, celebrating at the top level as soon as the event is over is guaranteed. You rarely see emotion from McCoy or Kinane when they win a big race.
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Presumably we see an advantage of attracting the types to racing that are impressed by these?... Personally I don't, they're more likely to attract drunken tossers more interested in brawling than horse racing of the type that are increasing on our race tracks.
 
That's a massive generalisation, enjoying those who show the emotions of sporting drama does not make you a "drunken tosser."
 
Gamla Stan said:
That's a massive generalisation, enjoying those who show the emotions of sporting drama does not make you a "drunken tosser."
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True... But I very much doubt that Kinane and McCoy are attracting those types. Give me the latter pair any day.
 
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