Mount Athos

[Coggy]

Does anyone know why Mount Athos was ridden by Spencer rather than Fallon at Chester this week ?
I know Fallon is now banned, but he wasn’t then, as he was riding later in the evening.
Cheers.

[trapper john]

probably to do with the owner he uses spencer quite alot if you look at stats hes ridden over 300 times for owner over last 5 years as to fallons 30 odd rides over same period of time

[The Young Fella]

Tom Queally commented today that it was nice to pick up a winning ride for the owner, since Jamie Spencer usually has first pick of the rides.

[tbracing]

Spencer is the retained rider for Dr Marwan Koukash now.

[Gingertipster]

Thing that surprised me about Mount Athos is Dr Marwan wants to forego a very reasonable chance of winning Europe’s premier Group 1 for stayers – in the hope of a better handicap mark for the Melbourne Cup. Likely to run in the Group2 Hardwicke instead.

It shows the Melbourne Cup is now the top staying race in the World.

Value Is Everything

[Himself]

Thing that surprised me about Mount Athos is Dr Marwan wants to forego a very reasonable chance of winning Europe’s premier Group 1 for stayers – in the hope of a better handicap mark for the Melbourne Cup. Likely to run in the Group2 Hardwicke instead.

It shows the Melbourne Cup is now the top staying race in the World.

Following Mount Athos’s victory at Chester, the good doctor said he would have liked the horse to race in the Ascot Gold Cup, but the chief handicapper in Victoria told that him that should he win the Royal Ascot showpiece, then his horse would have to carry even more weight for the Melbourne Cup.

Also Ginge; if I may be so bold … the Melbourne Cup can rightly be described as the top staying HANDICAP in the world. Its high status is mainly because of the silly money on offer to the winner and placed horses.

Prestige wise, and from a racing purist’s point of view, The Gold Cup at Royal Ascot is still the daddy of all staying races.

Think Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup. One is more popular than the other, but in terms of quality, there is only one winner.

Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning

[moehat]

From what he said yesterday I think Marwen Koukash is very adept at working out the handicap marks for his horses and that’s probably why his trainers accomodate his rather suffocating influence. He also seems to know which jockeys bring out the best in his horses as well. Will be intersting to see what happens if he does turn his hand to training one day.

[Peruvian Chief]

Why do you feel Koukash’s trainers feel his involvement is "suffocating"?

I doubt they are training for him with a gun at their head, although ‘Elgransenor’ perhaps suspects this may be the case.

[Author]

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