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He seems to provoke more debate than any other flat jockey so where do people stand with him. (Sorry if this has been debated before, which I’m sure it will have been)
For me he is a very good rider, not the best around, but in the UK I would say one of the top 10 for sure. For a jockey who doesn’t have a retainer, he gets plenty of winners and in the last few years has won most of the big handicaps. Also most of the leading trainers have used him in the last 2 or 3 years and used him with degrees of frequency when they have needed a jockey, so they can’t all be wrong and the punters who slag him right.
True he does get beat by short distances on fast finishing horses, but thats because he rides a lot of hold up horses and persumedly trainers of those horses book him because he is one of the best at doing it. Also with horses like that everything has to fall into place for them to win and sometimes they don’t. True sometimes he over does it, but he has an ability to make a horse seem like its travelling even when its not and that then misleads losing punters.
So they are my views on the guy, what about yours?As one ATR presenter mentioned, you can expect to lose two or three points off the true value of a horse’s ability if Spencer is aboard and therefore those who do back his mounts are perhaps sometimes kidding themselves as to the real chance of their selection winning.
I think he is one of the most talented and gifted jockeys riding today. He is the closest I have seen to Piggott in terms of the ability to settle horses and nerve. Keiran Fallon also said that Jamie is "like a bull" in a finish which is no small praise from one of the strongest riders in recent times.
Because Jamie is so good at settling horses he is usually the first name on a trainers lips when booking a rider for a hold up horse. Problem with hold up horses, especially those requiring delivery at the death of the race, is that you need lots of luck in running. As a result if you mostly ride hold up horses you are often going to need to extricate yourself from pockets or go for gaps that soon close. When this happens for many it is "Frank’s fault". However one quick look at the current AW Jockeys title shows how the man is in a league of his own there.
He is not as high up the rankings in the Turf season but considering he does not have the backing of any of the major stables it is an achievement in itself to finish as high as he does.
The criticism of him largely stemmed from his supposedly indifferent season at Ballydoyle. And yet in that period he registered a 33% SR. His sacking at Ballydoyle had more to do with a clash of personality with AOB than anyone there questioning his talent I think. I am sure one day John Magnier will once again turn to this gifted jockey when JPM hands up his boots.
I agree with most of your post Firefox but if AP O’Brien and Spencer don’t get on I don’t think Magnier would risk losing O’Brien.
I do not, as a hard and fast rule ( rightly or wrongly ) bet any horse Jamie Spencer is booked to ride.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Maybe but I think Mr Murtagh has many years in him yet…
I find it amazing it took so long for him to get a high profile job.
Maybe but I think Mr Murtagh has many years in him yet…
I find it amazing it took so long for him to get a high profile job.
Not that amazing considering the baggage he was carrying around a few seasons ago surely? A jockey with drink and weight problems is hardly a massive catch.
AFAIK Jamie was not sacked by AO’B or Coolmore. He sacked himself.
He was asked to step back from their US runners as he had encountered a few races where he seemed to be outridden by local jockeys. Jamie wanted to be the No1 or to leave and was allowed to go.
He is still used by Ballydoyle when it suits both parties and I dare say will regain the job one day.Murtagh had a sublime season in 08 but as with Fallon may struggle to maintain the self-discipline required to hold the job over a few years.
We’ll see.
Firefox – Murtagh did spend at least one summer riding mostly in the UK – 2005 I think.
I think I highlighted the issue with Jamie last summer , it was a simple case of confidence gone and therefore I avoided him like the plague
I always knew he had the talent , he still has , except now the confidence is back , and he is riding with his brain not instinct , how long will it last I dont know , but right now its a joy to watch
Ricky
Firefox – Murtagh did spend at least one summer riding mostly in the UK – 2005 I think.
I seem to remember him taking a short-lived job with David Loder.
After the split Loder was asked on C4 what had happened. Loder’s reply was "sometimes you take a pretty girl to a dance but you find that you don’t want to spend the evening dancing with her" or something very similar.
It seems that Murtagh thought that Loder was overtraining the Godolphin juveniles and said so.
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