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Different class to what? Are you really suggesting no other jockey could have steered the horse home? With all the practice he gets holding horses up for McManus you would think he would be able to achieve the subtle once in a while.
I presume it was purely down to the horse when he got beat at 2/5 and 1/5?
As for the critical bit he does that all the time. Presumably, waiting for threads like this one.
Was an excellent ride from McCoy but no better than Fehily’s on the Nicholls’ horse. So disagree that it was a different class. Just both excellent rides
Snake Eyes looked like a pig to me. He was cocking his jaw when asked for his effort and needed to be held up, covered up and delivered late – hard work in an eight-runner race!
The horse clearly has ability, but I can’t believe there would be many jockeys who’d have won on him today. The ‘different class’ comment is because I’ve seen this week-in, week-out for more than 20 years now and the skill and desire still seems as sharp as ever.
Mike
My first thought as they crossed the line was that McCoy had ridden a belter on an awkward looking horse.
Snake Eyes had a very high head carriage when asked to make his challenge and he was wandering as well.
It looked to me that sheer willpower and strength got the horse home today and far from looking like a 4000 winning ride jockey, who could be excused for being jaded and less enthusiastic after such a long run of winning titles by miles, AP McCoy looked as hungry as if he were in search of his first ever winner.
AP (Dandruff) McCoy (Head and Shoulders Better)
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
That was a mixed bag ride for AP, which I think he hinted at himself in saying he’d come too soon – it was far too soon initially, but I think the horse’s turn of foot when first asked (some way out) caught him very much by surprise. But he did well to persuade the horse to win the race; buckle down would be the wrong expression, but AP’s sheer will does indeed seem to have an effect, even on the rogues.
Ride of the day, for me, was SWC on Oscar Time. Prominent throughout, saving when he could, not a hint of panic or doubt when Conor soared past and went quickly clear on Our Father. Sam just sat still – he knew O’Farrell had gone to soon, even if O’Farrell didn’t. Perfectly judged ride on a track where he excels.
McCoy said as much in the interview afterwards that Snake Eyes is a bit of a rogue and JP has much more faith than he has in him.
Agreed with the head-carriage comment; far from straightforward.
That was a mixed bag ride for AP, which I think he hinted at himself in saying he’d come too soon – it was far too soon initially, but I think the horse’s turn of foot when first asked (some way out) caught him very much by surprise. But he did well to persuade the horse to win the race; buckle down would be the wrong expression, but AP’s sheer will does indeed seem to have an effect, even on the rogues.
Ride of the day, for me, was SWC on Oscar Time. Prominent throughout, saving when he could, not a hint of panic or doubt when Conor soared past and went quickly clear on Our Father. Sam just sat still – he knew O’Farrell had gone to soon, even if O’Farrell didn’t. Perfectly judged ride on a track where he excels.
A bit harsh calling it a "mixed bag" Joe. Backers of Snake Eyes got paid on a horse who looked a tricky customer and I’ll take a mixed bag like that any day of the week.
I would be willing to wager that Sam Waley-Cohen wouldn’t have had the skill set to have got Snake Eyes first past the post in yesterday’s race. There is a world of difference in riding a horse aged 13 years, and who could get home on auto-pilot if necessary, such is his experience, and trying to win with a younger, quirky beast.
If you watched Waley-Cohen on Cedre Bleu later on, the horse looked to be travelling much more sweetly than Poole Master but when push came to shove there was nothing there. It may be that the horse is a bit of a dog but his jockey gave very little effort from the saddle and it all looked pretty feeble to my eyes.
I’m not a big fan I’m afraid but each to their own.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Steve, the way the race panned out, you’re probably right, not many would have persuaded the horse to go through with it.
But, oddly, Sam’s Cedre Bleu ride might well have got Snake Eyes home. I don’t think CB is a dog – I think he simply finds nil off the bridle – a bit like Harchibald. He’s one of those who’s much happier travelling within himself. Whether it’s a physical or mental impediment that stops him finding (some horses lose confidence in themselves, I think, when asked for an effort), I don’t know.
But Snake Eyes showed he finds plenty when rousted. AP’s issue was that he had to roust him twice. There’s no way of knowing if Sam would have gone for him at the same time AP did, in which case he probably wouldn’t have won – but the CB ride would have been perfect.
I’m not saying Sam’s a better jockey than AP, but of the two rides yesterday, I’ve no doubt Sam’s, in The Becher, was the better. Imo, of course.
I can’t believe people are still knocking SWC. He’s an amateur for goodness sake . He shouldn’t be as good as AP. His record over the national fences is fantastic and I thought his ride on Oscar Time was the ride of the weekend.
Of course Waley-Cohen is an amateur but he’s being compared to AP McCoy in this thread and I’m just pointing out the differences.
The type of horse Sam is riding is generally a safe enough conveyance and when you say he has a good record at Aintree, it is worth putting into perspective the reality of the figures is
2
wins from
7
runs in the last 12 months. It’s not having a go at what are limited opportunities for the jockey but worth bearing in mind before getting too carried away and making comparisons with a man who has had more than 4000 winners.
Sam Waley-Cohen is what he is but I prefer to have my selections ridden by a professional. Others are free to choose and view it differently but I don’t see why taking a negative view of the jockey in question should be deemed unfair in some way.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
No one is comparing AP and SWC. They are commenting on the best ride of the day. Some say SWC, whose ride on OT was brimming with confidence. Even though an amateur, he has become a master over the National fences and is surely worth considering backing even if the horse has the smallest chance of winning.
Both were excellent rides in their different ways.
Surely when comparing great rides you need to consider the horse each jockey is riding?
Oscar Time is 13 years old and has run 33 times over fences. The horse has completed in two Grand Nationals already and the criteria of a great ride, for me anyway, must include the question as to whether another jockey could have won on the same horse?
The Grand National fences are not what they were, Oscar Time is a safe conveyance and, for the life of me, I can’t conclude that a different jockey would not have been able to steer a twice placed Grand National horse to victory over 10f shorter at the same racecourse.
McCoy, on the other hand, was riding a horse who was having his 5th start and who was still a maiden, after being turned over at 2/5 and 1/5. As we saw, the horse is quirky and looks one to avoid at short odds in the future. I felt AP did a terrific job of imposing his natural will to win onto the horse and demonstrated why nobody will ever touch the number of winners he has achieved in his career.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Surely when comparing great rides you need to consider the horse each jockey is riding?
Oscar Time is 13 years old and has run 33 times over fences. The horse has completed in two Grand Nationals already and the criteria of a great ride, for me anyway, must include the question as to whether another jockey could have won on the same horse?
The Grand National fences are not what they were, Oscar Time is a safe conveyance and, for the life of me, I can’t conclude that a different jockey would not have been able to steer a twice placed Grand National horse to victory over 10f shorter at the same racecourse.
McCoy, on the other hand, was riding a horse who was having his 5th start and who was still a maiden, after being turned over at 2/5 and 1/5. As we saw, the horse is quirky and looks one to avoid at short odds in the future. I felt AP did a terrific job of imposing his natural will to win onto the horse and demonstrated why nobody will ever touch the number of winners he has achieved in his career.
It’s a good question about other jockeys on Oscar Time. How many other riders would have got stuck into him when Our Father cruised past rather than biding their time and making their challenge at the right moment as SWC did. And his superb record at Aintree is not down to any one horse.
I thought AP’s ride was top notch. I just can’t understand why a rider with quite possibly the best record as an amateur since John Lawrence still gets so much stick.
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