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“A jockey walking with a limp doesn’t automatically mean that he is not capable of riding to the same level if he didn’t have the limp”.
Perhaps not at a basic, technical level. But I can’t believe a jockey who is limping and in discomfort or pain is going to ride as well as a jockey who is 100% fit. His condition has to have an effect on him mentally and affect his confidence.
Davy Russell certainly did not help the chances of both Teahupoo and Pied Piper at Cheltenham in 2023. He eventually saw sense and gave up his ride in the Gold Cup.
After he had the winner of the Martin Pipe this year, Elliott gave a highly emotional interview on RTV. No doubt he felt a huge sense of relief after finally getting a winner in the very last race. But it looked to me like it was also because he had endured a very tough week. I think deep down he knew it was a gamble for Kennedy to ride and it hadn’t worked.
“Perhaps not at a basic, technical level. But I can’t believe a jockey who is limping and in discomfort or pain is going to ride as well as a jockey who is 100% fit. His condition has to have an effect on him mentally and affect his confidence.”
CAS, I presume that is betting without AP
The confidence/mental angle I think would be much more of an issue than a perceived physical problem from limping. When you lose that confidence, it is hard to get it back and it can also end up clouding your judgement to where you start second guessing yourself on all things that when confidence is high you do on instinct (almost like its second nature).
You can’t simply ride around that whereas in the heat of the battle, adrenaline can overcome a lot of smaller physical issues you may be carrying to where riding is a lot easier thing to do physically than maybe just walking.
I think Elliott’s emotional response was probably a culmination of many things which also included the Kennedy issue – his horses were running well but hitting the proverbial goal posts, his main hope badly underperformed in the Champion Hurdle and to top it all off the one race he does end up winning is the Martin Pipe, who as we all know was a major influence and mentor to him and whom he calls his hero.
A pressure valve release moment for sure.
I hope Elliott was watching the 3.52 Plumpton , Bowen basically carried that horse over the line after spending 2 circuits cajoling to stay in contention , I know I’m a stuck record but Elliott has to get his thumb out of his ass and make him his no1 , scandalous he’s not no1 in a massive yard
Its not about what’s wrong with him more about Elliott getting the best available , if you haven’t watched the race give it a view
Ewing is a decent jockey but I am not sure he is the long term answer for Elliot. There are better riders out there and if he wants to challenge Mullins again he needs the best.
It might not have been entirely his fault but take the Grade 1 Novice Hurdle on Friday. Ewing rode Romeo Coolio for Elliot, perhaps their best chance of the week. They were well beaten into second place by Salvator Mundi, inevitably for Mullins/Townend.
I don’t know if the sectional times confirm it but Ewing looked to go off very fast, while Townend bided his time. By the time it came to the last, Townend was still cantering while Ewing was riding away and clearly with nothing left.
It looked like Ewing only succeeded in setting the race up perfectly for Townend. He ended up winning easily on a horse that had finished a long way behind Romeo Coolio at Cheltenham.
It seemed to sum up where Mullins and Elliot are at the moment.
Danny Gilligan has just ridden another winner for Elliot in the first race at Ballinrobe.
I wonder if he might be in the frame to be stable jockey if Kennedy can’t come back? He is a better jockey than Ewing, in my opinion.
And he wins the second race as well, albeit not for Elliot. Partly thanks to Danny Mullins deciding it was a good idea to take his mount as wide as possible.
Cork, you can be sure that the O’Leary Brothers and Robcour owners will have their say when it comes to appointing a new, PROPER stable jockey.
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