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A truly great jockey, master of tactics, always remember as a child hearing him barking at the start to wind up the other jocks, i will never forget his ride on star appeal in the arc, absolute brilliant judge of pace.RIP.
RIP Greville
One of my all time sporting heroes got me hooked on racing as youngster when winning the Arc on Star Appeal. Was possibly one of the finest judges of horses amongst the jockey fraternity.
He was instrumental in establishing John Dunlop, Henry Cecil, Michael Stoute and Guy Harwood as top class trainers.
As I recall was especially good with front runners.
For all Grevilles fine attributes,one of which was his fine judgement of horseflesh! He will be remembered for the worst ride ever seen on a racecourse! RIP Greville.
RIP Greville Starkey.
A fine jockey who is still wrongly villified for his ride on Dancing Brave at Epsom imo – and who was considered beforehand by many fine judges as a likely non stayer – hence why Greville tried to reserve every ounce of stamina.
He won just about every major flat race going.
I recall keeping faith with him in the 2,000gns after his mount, the Guy Harwood trained, To-Agori-Mou, had just been beaten in the Craven.
His style was quite unique but very, very effective. One of racing’s true characters.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
A fine jockey who is still wrongly villified for his ride on Dancing Brave at Epsom imo – and who was considered beforehand by many fine judges as a likely non stayer – hence why Greville tried to reserve every ounce of stamina.
Nobody was more confident that Dancing Brave would get the 11/2m than dear old Greville himself! He is quoted as saying "This horse is Bombproof,the first day i won on him i got off and said this is my Derby horse" that was after he won over a 1m at Sandown as a 2yo!
RIP Greville Starkey.
A fine jockey who is still wrongly villified for his ride on Dancing Brave at Epsom imo – and who was considered beforehand by many fine judges as a likely non stayer – hence why Greville tried to reserve every ounce of stamina.
Here here.
Dancing Brave was a 2000 Guineas winner not sure to stay.
Greville held the horse up to get him to settle.
Unusually for a Derby the pace was comparitively slow.
Commontater Graham Goode even made a comment on the slow pace.
Having settled him out the back, Epsom’s contours mean it is very difficult, if not impossible to make up much ground until the straight.
Greville had to sit and suffer.
When the pace eventually quickened, Dancing Brave was in the wrong place.
Produced an amazing burst of speed, heard it said Dancing Brave went 5f pace up the straight.
Making up ground hand over fist, just failed to catch the more prominently ridden Shahristani (thankfully for my pocket).
Greville got a lot of undue criticism. Victim of circumstance, had they gone anything like normal Derby pace, Greville and Dancing Brave would’ve won the Derby.
Still got the video.In the Arc Eddery did exactly the same thing.
Held up out the back.
Difference was they went a good pace.
Eddery came wide and produced that telling blistering turn of foot.
Beat the best field ever assembled for an Arc, with the possible exception of Sea Bird.
Had there been a slow pace, Eddery and Dancing Brave would not have won the ArcSo unfortunate Greville will be remembered for that Derby ride. Deserves better than that.
Remember those wide arms and bobbing head.RIP Greville Starkey.
Value Is EverythingA fine jockey who is still wrongly villified for his ride on Dancing Brave at Epsom imo – and who was considered beforehand by many fine judges as a likely non stayer – hence why Greville tried to reserve every ounce of stamina.
Nobody was more confident that Dancing Brave would get the 11/2m than dear old Greville himself! He is quoted as saying "This horse is Bombproof,the first day i won on him i got off and said this is my Derby horse" that was after he won over a 1m at Sandown as a 2yo!
Every jockey says the same thing when talking about his Derby mount, truth is there were big doubts about him staying. have you ever known one to say "I don’t think he’ll stay"?
Value Is EverythingYou will have heard Graeme Goodes immortal lines then Ginge- "And here comes Dancing Brave with Oh so much to do" way too much to do,another 2 strides and he was the winner! Sharasthani then ran away with the Irish Derby,but the Brave got his revenge in the King George and proved conclusively that if he hadn"t been held up,stone cold last coming off Tattenham corner he would have ran away with the Derby!Poor Greville rode the worst race i have ever seen in 25yrs!
"Gingertipster wrote:
Every jockey says the same thing when talking about his Derby mount, truth is there were big doubts about him staying. have you ever known one to say "I don’t think he’ll stay"?The only doubts came from those who never knew the horse,connections knew he would stay every yard,it was all because he had an incredible burst of acceleration that people questioned his stamina! Truth is Dancing Brave was one of very few horses that could quicken,then quicken again! watch him beat Ozolpulmin in the select stakes at Goodwood,Greville asked him twice to stretch and the turn of foot was instant on both occassions and that was just a prep for the Arc! Legend of a horse!
RIP Greville.
The fact that Dancing Brave’s two races as a 2YO were at a mile suggests that the Derby seemed the obvious target for the horse. Mr Starkey knew what the horse was capable of hence his confidence. He should have ridden DB closer to the pace since Epsom is quite an unforgiving course. In my opinion, Greville got his tactics wrong.
just like to add the comment that guy harwood made at the time about dancing brave’s derby,"he would have won if greville had cut him in half,"
which i think pays a compliment to starkey as a jockey and horseman.
you get slagged off for under use of the whip as well as overuse.- Total Posts 17716
One of the all time great charachters of racing ssms like only yesterday he was kicking winners home. As my fellow member points out he had a famous "bark" that used to make his bewildered mounts run like the wind for him.
Be more than a few of the old timers shed a tear for their old mate.
R.I.P.
A terrfic jockey who I will remember for numerous great rides on Guy Harwood horses!!
R.I.P Greville
"The Ante-Post King":3lpxsj0l wrote:
Every jockey says the same thing when talking about his Derby mount, truth is there were big doubts about him staying. have you ever known one to say "I don’t think he’ll stay"?
The only doubts came from those who never knew the horse,connections knew he would stay every yard,it was all because he had an incredible burst of acceleration that people questioned his stamina! Truth is Dancing Brave was one of very few horses that could quicken,then quicken again! watch him beat Ozolpulmin in the select stakes at Goodwood,Greville asked him twice to stretch and the turn of foot was instant on both occassions and that was just a prep for the Arc! Legend of a horse!
How do you know what’s in the minds of owners, trainers and jockeys of Derby runners? They all say they have no worries on that score. How many are really telling the truth?
Did not need to be anywhere near his best at Goodwood. Was there that day (and Newmarket for the 2000), acceleration was breathtaking.
Value Is Everything
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