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Methinks it had too hard a race against Mr Cool. You could see it had had enough when it ranged alongside today. But it will come back.<br> Scipio
Ian , did Baracouda actually get his head in front ? I`m not so sure , I thought he got to within a head or a neck then Deanos found a bit extra in the last 75 yards , the angle was slightly inconclusive .
Swap jockeys = different result , but that doesn`t necessarily mean T.D. lost the race it just means A.P. won it .<br>If that makes any sense !
Not always a fan of Thierry, but he wasn’t to blame today; again we saw an inspired piece of riding from McCoy who did absolutely everything right on Deano’s Beeno, who in turn proved his doubters wrong in finally winning this race.
If your’e going to ride it as a hold up horse, ride at as a hold up horse and challenge after the last to lead close home. Just rode too confidently today, expecting Deano’s Beano to fold as soon as challenged. Maybe TD doesn’t watch much UK racing with Pipe horses staying and staying for ever ??.
I realised Deano’s Beano was a good bet about half way round too late was the cry however.
As someone who had Deano’s Beano i was happy enough with the result..but all the same it still annoys me to see the way Thierry Doumen always gets questioned when losing a race if half the jocks in this country were questioned as much it wouldn’t be so bad.
To these eyes it was the energy that Baracouda must have consumed when closing on Deano in the straight that left him with nothing when asked for his final effort.
Had Deano’s Beeno had nothing left inside the final 50 yards, a la Mr Cool, then they would have got away with the exagerrated tactics but McCOy appeared to have a little bit left.
Maybe if they had had to hurdle the third last instead of running through it, maybe if he had been ridden handier, maybe if………
No matter how many ways you look at it, the truth is that when you ride a horse from so far off the pace and get beaten, the tactics are going to be questioned. The fact that he is French doesn’t help his cause either.
Thierry isn’t going to go away though so I suppose we will have to go through this each and every time Baracouda runs.
Here I am Ian – evening everyone, just watched the tape.
Baracouda is was and always will be a dodgepot in that he downs tools when in front – everyone knows this including TD and his Papa. As such he has to be ridden with exagerated confidence and put in front only when it will be to late for the horse passed to fight back. Dependant on circumstances this should never be more than 50 yards from the winning post, and certainly not jumping the last hurdle. Thierry Doumen rode a perfect tactical race once again today until between the final two flights when he panicked and challenged too soon. If he had delayed his passing manouevre untill halfway up the run-in Baracouda would have won. Peter Scudamore in review said that Doumen timed it perfectly today in challenging over the last – utter nonsense but a predictable comment from a man who was a one trick pony as a rider and as inept at riding a waiting race when he retired as when he started.
To execute extreme waiting tactics the pilot has to be 100% confident in his own ability and I got the impression watching the race that TD was riding over anxiously today and didn’t relax Baracouda as well as he normally does. Interesting that after the race Francois intimated that the ridiculous amount of usually undeserved criticism heaped on his son by so-called experts in the media may well be effecting his riding. By the way Sunybay, Francois Doumen is the finest trainer of the NH racehorse since Vincent O’Brien.
In conclusion, Deano’s Beano won today due to Thierry Doumen riding an ill-judged race, not, and I’m sorry to disappoint his legions of fans, because AP produced some masterpiece of a ride. He made the running at a sensible pace and rode a powerful finish – any of the top twenty jockeys could have executed the ride just as competently.
Hello Sunybay
Care to elucidate or are you just going to leave it at that? May I suggest you examine the form book with particular reference to Monsieur D’s runners in this country over the past ten to twelve years.
<br>Bear,
A Gold Cup, the King George with several horses, a Stayers Hurdle, a Triumph Hurdle, not to mention the world wide wins of Jim and Tonic and numerous big races in France.
Difficult to think of many that could match that and all achieved with French jockeys as well!
And he gives a better interview in English than any of our trainers could manage in French.
Alan
<br>bear
your comment that douman is anywhere near as good as vob even 1/10 as good is so stupid that it dosnt need a reply
the record books will quite clearly show you the difference
gold cups champion hurdles derbies grand nationals…………………………………………..
hes not even as good as pipe henderson knight hobbs aob o grady rimmell walwyn i could go on………………. and none of them would have a fool like t douman riding for them either
Prince Regent
Allow me to respond to your dismissive posting.
From a stable that rarely houses more than 20 jumpers, Doumens successful raids on our major prizes are nothing short of remarkable and compare more than favourably with any of the modern trainers you chose to mention. From limited representation his success rate also puts him in the same league as those giants of the 60’s and 70’s, Winter and Walwyn.
The likes of Hobbs, Knight and Henderson have well in excess of 100 horses in training at any one time yet land the championship races infrequently, which says something don’t you think as the majority of their horses are bred to excell at the game. As for Pipe, his lack of success in the championship races speaks far more eloquently about his standing in the pantheon of all time great trainers than I ever could.
Finally, feel free to criticise Thierry Doumen as a jockey, but he is anything but a fool, and I suggest you do yourself a disservice by describing him thus.
I’m still waiting Sunybay :cool:
Hi Ian
Glad you’re speaking to me, I don’t think Prince Regent and Sunybay are feeling that matey at the moment.
I initially thought AP was reasonably good on Chicuelo this afternoon, but the fact that it was Mr Baxter Basics that he went past precludes me from giving him any praise. Mr B B’s jockey should be made to carry a white flag not a whip.
I must say I’ve always had a soft spot for NH jockeys who showboat. You mention David "gypsy" Goulding, superb on a hold up horse such as Ekbalko, but admittedly you always had your heart in your mouth. Paul Kelleway on Bula used to have punters reaching for the heart pills at times and during the 70’s R.F. (Roy) Davies used to ride handicap hurdlers of a trainer called Whiston wth the proverbial "balls of steel". Paul Carberry and Ruby Walsh of the present day riders are the kings of the showboat and either would be ideal for Baracouda should anything untoward happen to young Thierry on the Monday of Cheltenham week. ;)
My favourite showboater of all time though was Andy Turnell. He was the complete circus act, balancing on top of the saddle like a monkey up a stick. He would exasperate those who like their jockeys to be all action, a la McCoy, but to those of us who love the avant garde approach he was and is the undisputed King. On the wall above my PC I’ve got a signed Peter Curling print of AT and April Seventh jumping the last en route to winning the 1975 Hennessy – poetry in motion.
Hi Ian
I’m pretty sure David Goulding was known as gypsy, wether he really was one or was nicknamed as he wore a ring in his ear maybe someone else can say.
Although he rode so short Turnell very rarely unseated – the most famous occasion being at Aintree, when the aforementioned April Seventh banked Bechers Brook, jettisoned him into orbit, and on the way down his flailing left arm grabbed Paul Kelleway by the scruff of the neck and dragged him backwards off the well fancied Barona. I’ve got it on tape – it was one of Red Rums Nationals, superb entertainment but apparently Paul Kelleway didn’t see the funny side!
I have to disagree with the notion that Baracouda is a hold-up horse who has to be produced late.  When he destroyed Deeno’s in this race 2 years ago he led well before the home turn.  He is ridden like a hold-up horse because the Doumen’s have so much faith in his ability they want to give him as easy a race as possible without over exerting the horse.  I think that he is a horse who can be ridden anywhere on any ground.
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