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Does anyone know why Davy is returning to Ireland as reported on the C4 Morning Line ticker tape as I cannot find any report on the story on the internet so far.
Yep, the
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reported earlier in the week that he’s not having his contract renewed as Nicky Richards’ stable jockey.
Despite sporadic success with the likes of Noble Alan and Monet’s Garden, it wasn’t a glittering season for the Greystoke handler. However, there didn’t seem to be any inference on the part of either party that the rider did a lot wrong during his tenure.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
All I know about it was the stable statement released last Monday. I’m possibly being presumptive, but it seemed a less-than-amicable separation judging from Nicky Richards’ caustic "
it just wasn’t working out"
I doubt that Davy Condon will be too gutted, however. Granted, he had winning rides in the Peterborough and the Scottish Chamion Hurdle, but it hasn’t been a vintage year at Greystoke. I wonder if the stable is in decline ………….. it doesn’t seem to be the force it once was. I think he rode around twenty winners for the stable which is modest enough. Is there really a need for Richards to have a retained jockey in such circumstances.
I’ve always had admiration for Davy as a horseman and jockey. Perhaps he will try to reprise his previous role as second jockey to Willie Mullins? Could it be that he has had certain encouraging whisperings in this regard? Whatever the circumstances, I’m sure he will have a decent career with plenty of riding opportunities back in Ireland. Same as Davy Russell who also made a success of his return after a spell with Ferdy.
Is there really a need for Richards to have a retained jockey in such circumstances.
Given he intimated that he’ll probably be making do with Brian Harding and Fearghal Davis when available, and that he has his daughter Joey on hand for amateur riders’ races and hunter chases, I think he’s already conceded that he won’t be needing one.
The loss of the Davidson horses – not all of which Rose rode, remember – can’t have helped in that regard, either.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Are Tony Dobbin and Rose training them now? If so, the plan was a long term one and would have been no surprise to anyone.
Yep. Not in a huge way just yet, but Colour Clash (Sedgefield bumper, April 28th), Mountskip (Kelso bumper, March 29th) and Kinharvie (Kelso bumper, March 29th) have all run for a Mrs R Dobbin of South Hazelrigg, Northumbria.
A G Dobbin of the same location is taking care of the point-to-pointers and hunter chasers. The Jim Bolger-bred Luksar won the prestigious Buccleuch Cup maiden hunter chase at Kelso for Mr Dobbin and the in-laws on April 6th, having run, like many Davidson pointers / hunters, for Morag Herdman in previous seasons.
There are already some non-Davidson owners allied to the yard. Mounstkip is the property of the wonderfully named Sir Chips Keswick, whose name I can’t read without thinking of Mitchell & Webb’s character Sir Digby Chicken Caesar.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
We’ve tried to find their training establishment with limited success..it’s a bit bleak in those parts! We think we saw it from a distance….
No doubt Richards has been hit with the loss of horses from both Davidson and other owners due to the credit crunch. Shame to see a big-ish trainer like that losing all those horses but that’s the way it goes. Davidson was always cutting down, anyway, as Persimmon Homes isn’t exactly printing cash at the minute.
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All I know about it was the stable statement released last Monday. I’m possibly being presumptive, but it seemed a less-than-amicable separation judging from Nicky Richards’ caustic "
it just wasn’t working out"
I doubt that Davy Condon will be too gutted, however. Granted, he had winning rides in the Peterborough and the Scottish Chamion Hurdle, but it hasn’t been a vintage year at Greystoke. I wonder if the stable is in decline ………….. it doesn’t seem to be the force it once was. I think he rode around twenty winners for the stable which is modest enough. Is there really a need for Richards to have a retained jockey in such circumstances.
I’ve always had admiration for Davy as a horseman and jockey. Perhaps he will try to reprise his previous role as second jockey to Willie Mullins? Could it be that he has had certain encouraging whisperings in this regard? Whatever the circumstances, I’m sure he will have a decent career with plenty of riding opportunities back in Ireland. Same as Davy Russell who also made a success of his return after a spell with Ferdy.
Not remotely like the days of old HH, Jonjo Ron Barry Frank Leavy and Davic Goulding all clambering for every mount they could get when the old man was in charge.
It’s really tough for Nicky which is no surprise as his old man was extremely popular, highly respected and a hard act to follow. To keep up with the guys down south you need to have everything going for you and knowing you are being compared by everyone doesn’t help.
Nicky training the S. Champion Hurdle winner something the old man never quite manged to do thanks to Jinxy Jack falling on his backside twice, must have been pleasing. But to be blunt Gordon would have cut his own throat after a season like that.
I can’t see any jockey want to stay in a yard that’s clearly on the decline to ride 20 winners. He could do that with many a small yard in Ireland?
No doubt they had their differences as Nicky is a chip off the old man’s block, but I couldn’t see him sacking the guy for one minute.
Looking ahead Richards should stick with the ever reliable Brian Harding and the up and coming Fearghal Davis as stable jockeys. No need for a further jockey.
It has been a quiet year by the Richards stable standards but many other trainers would love a season that included a Peterborough Chase and Scottish Champion Hurdle so all is not lost. Stable was in great form towards end of last season. And his efforts with Noble Alan prove Richards still knows the time of day with his horses.
Looking ahead Richards should stick with the ever reliable Brian Harding and the up and coming Fearghal Davis as stable jockeys. No need for a further jockey.
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Having been overlooked, Brian Harding may have taken some satisfaction at riding 24 winners last season , the same as Condon (though from many more rides)
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Considering Brian is now in his late 30’s he must be very happy with the winners he is riding.
He was the apple of Gordon’s eye back in the early 90’s and was all set to replace Richard Dunwoody on One Man and he wouldstill be a conditional jockey at the time. It was in one of the seasons big races but don’t ask me which. Dunwoody had to ride something else in Ireland, Tony Dobbin was injured at the time but for some reason One Man was pulled out. Had he ran and won who knows how that would have changed Brian’s future.
He waited about 4 years before the chance came again and when it did he won the QMCC giving him as good a ride as Gordon could have wished for.
Very sadly One Man was killed when Brian rode him at Aintree in a terrible fall. The old man was heart broken as was John Hales but both were quick to exhonerate Brian of any fault.
He’s been a great servant to Greystoke,, is still riding as good as ever and I’m sure he’ll use him whenever he can. Whether Brian would want to be tied the stable now is another matter. He gets plenty mounts from some very good trainers as things stand.
No doubt they had their differences as Nicky is a chip off the old man’s block, but I couldn’t see him sacking the guy for one minute.
I would be inclined to agree, Fist,
I would believe that it was Condon who "called it a day" although I am only surmising.
I imagine that Condon came to feel that his original expectations were unfulfilled twelve months down the road and were likely to remain so nfor the foreseeable future — that Greystoke was an operation in decline rather than one "on the up".
It will be interesting if he picks up a ride or two from Mullins in the absence of Ruby. That may be a pointer to his future career.A lot of talk here about the Scottish Champion Hurdle…
The only prestige about this race is the name.
Does not take a super horse to win this event and fields are usually on the small side
A lot of talk here about the Scottish Champion Hurdle…
The only prestige about this race is the name.
Does not take a super horse to win this event and fields are usually on the small side
That used to be the case…but I believe the last 2 years has seen fields of 16 and 14 with prize money to winner of £56k and £45k.
I bet Nicky Richards was devastated to win that this year! It might not take a champion hurdler to win the race but Snap Tie, Medermit and Blue Bajan were beaten at Ayr…not even placed! Cant be that bad a race!
(I should get a pr job at ayr)
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