- This topic has 38 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
- Total Posts 17716
The jockey’s response to the criticism of his ride on Frankel last week:
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … oyalascot/
As Himself had predicted before the race, Cecil envisaged a replay of the Royal Lodge. Queally was only doing what he was told.
Yeah, Cecil was actually quoted that they had a different plan in the RP couple of days before that they had a whole new gameplan, but next race I think they will just ride him normally.
Queally started to send Frankel after the pacemaker five furlongs from home you can clearly see the marker if you watch the replay not when they got into the straight.
If "that was the plan", then it was a badly thought out plan. Had the pacemaker not gone of at a ridiculous pace it would have been ok to take it up when he did. The fact it was such a strong pace made it foolish to do so.
Suspect the idea was just to make a sound enough pace and then take it up just before the turn. As it was Queally had to ask Frankel to chase the already (too) fast pace, got to Rerouted a little earlier than he wanted, and went on sooner than anticipated. No point in taking a pull and went on by. That still would have been ok had he got a breather in to the horse around the turn, but no.
It’s not the first time…
In last year’s Prince Of Wales Queally left it too late with Twice Over. In Twice Over’s next race the Eclipse he got out in front, this time going too fast. As a result only just got home from inferior rivals.
In the Coronation Cup Queally behaved like a mad dog on Midday. On a filly with 1m2f speed who tends to idle in front. Against a colt who’d won a strongly run race at 1m5f…. Queally chose to take it up sooner than Midday had done in her whole life.
Tom Queally is a nice bloke, but he’s getting in to a habit of going for home too early in big races. Needs to alter tactics to the pace of the race.
Value Is Everything- Total Posts 17716
Quealy didn’t "chase a too fast pace". As he made clear in an earlier article, the whole field was ignoring his pacemaker, so he had little option but to take it up, and give his long-striding mount the best chance of taking the sting out of his opposition.
That he asked the horse to quicken all too abruptly maybe a valid criticism, that it made more than a couple of lengths difference to the final result is wishful thinking, imo.- Total Posts 17716
Can you blame Queally after Newmarket? if I was on that horse I’d of gone for home 4f out too, knowing the engine you have under you its a chance to put on a show and create the finest spectacle Ascot has ever seen.
Surprised no one’s mentioning the fact Frankel was too relaxed, he might be a bit too clever for the game now which is dangerous and will start looking after himself.
It’s a shame Frankel’s wins this year have been harder races than they should have been. I’d make Frankel long odds-on to beat Canford Cliffs in the Sussex, if it wasn’t for a possibility those hard races will catch up with Frankel. Still favour the younger horse, but not as much now.
Value Is EverythingGood jockeys, especially ones who have ridden the horse a number of times shouldn’t need ‘instructions’ and the sort of jockey who slavishly implements those instructions no matter how the race pans out isn’t a good jockey.
Personally, I think Queally is a good jockey but he is paranoid about using his judgment and losing so he’s hiding behind the excuse that he is merely implementing the pre-race gameplan. In some ways it’s reminiscent of Mike Smith on Zenyatta – the pressure of losing on a horse that everyone is touting as unbeatable is causing him to lose confidence in his own judgment.
If the jockey is told to ride a horse a certain way then he’d be foolish not to do so. Especially when in the job he is in.
Frankel remains a fascinating horse, not least because of the uncertainties over how he will be ridden and how he will react if ridden in a different style.
Good jockeys, especially ones who have ridden the horse a number of times shouldn’t need ‘instructions’ and the sort of jockey who slavishly implements those instructions no matter how the race pans out isn’t a good jockey.
Personally, I think Queally is a good jockey but he is paranoid about using his judgment and losing so he’s hiding behind the excuse that he is merely implementing the pre-race gameplan.
In some ways it’s reminiscent of Mike Smith on Zenyatta – the pressure of losing on a horse that everyone is touting as unbeatable is causing him to lose confidence in his own judgment
.
That is exactly the problem. The top jockeys have ice in their veins – Piggott, Kinane, Dettori ………. . Look how Kinane handled the pressure of riding Sea The Stars he never once panicked he was icy cool and he transmitted the confidence he had to his horse.
Its time for Queally to man up to be honest if he messes up much more he might find himself no longer getting top rides he needs to grow some balls before its too late.
I think it’s unfair to accuse Queally of ‘messing up’ last week at Ascot.
If a jockey is told how to ride a horse and carries out instructions then how can you accuse him of ‘messing up’. Is he supposed to ignore instructions from connections?
It’s been very clear from post (and pre) race comments that Sir Henry has given Queally some pretty specific instructions on how the horse was to be ridden, presumably as the horse has been difficult and they felt required specific tactics.
I’m not saying Queally is always perfect but harsh IMO to criticise that ride.
I do think they’ll totally change the way he’s ridden next time as there is a danger (as many have pointed out) that they might sour the horse if they persevere with extreme forcing tactics.
I’m swaying (reluctantly) to the Canford camp. They may get caught in two minds with Frankel but you can be in no doubt that Hughes will have CC on his withers waiting for a chink. Fascinating clash – can’t wait for it.
I think it’s unfair to accuse Queally of ‘messing up’ last week at Ascot.
If a jockey is told how to ride a horse and carries out instructions then how can you accuse him of ‘messing up’. Is he supposed to ignore instructions from connections?
It’s been very clear from post (and pre) race comments that Sir Henry has given Queally some pretty specific instructions on how the horse was to be ridden, presumably as the horse has been difficult and they felt required specific tactics.
I’m not saying Queally is always perfect but harsh IMO to criticise that ride.
I do think they’ll totally change the way he’s ridden next time as there is a danger (as many have pointed out) that they might sour the horse if they persevere with extreme forcing tactics.
I’m swaying (reluctantly) to the Canford camp. They may get caught in two minds with Frankel but you can be in no doubt that Hughes will have CC on his withers waiting for a chink. Fascinating clash – can’t wait for it.
Corm, I honestly believe if the jockey is good enough you shouldn’t need to give him/her detailed instructions especially when they have ridden the horse before.
Just by way of example, we’ve used Graham Gibbons a number of times and we don’t give him instructions. We know he will use his judgment in the race to adopt the best tactics. On several occasions if he had adopted the tactics we would have given to a less experienced jockey then we may well have lost the race. His record for us of 6 wins and a mugged on the line second from 7 runs speaks for itself.
We’ve given other jockeys instructions and there have been occasions when they’ve carried them out to the letter even though they clearly weren’t appropriate in the context of the way the race panned out. I would much rather have a jockey who uses his skill, judgment and experience to change the tactics during the race than one who gives the horse a bad ride and then whines "Well you told me to ride the horse like that!"
The fact that Queally feels the need to hide behind following instructions says to me that he knows he gave the horse a bad ride. I hope in Frankel’s next race, Henry Cecil just tells him to ride him as he thinks best depending on how the race develops.
Did Frankel win the other day or did I dream it?
It wasn’t a great ride, the horse nearly got beat but the prize money stays the same for ‘nearly’ doesn’t it?
I’d rather Cecil continue to give Queally instructions & keep winning than not doing & losing.
Maybe his willingness to ride to instructions is why Cecil uses him.
I still cant understand why TQ doesnt ride him in his work. Surely if he IS a difficult ride it would make sense to ride him out as often as possible and develop more of an understanding. He had not sat on him since the Guineas.
Personally I don’t think TQ followed instuctions anyway. As someone on here has already pointed out he sent Frankel on 5 furlongs out, not as they entered the straight which seemed to be the plan.
I have a feeling that Cecil’s horses are not quite seeing out there races at the moment either. As I was typing this I was watching yet another horse of his arrive there on the bit 2 out only to find nothing when push came to shove. Chachamaidee, Solar Sky, Sacred Shield – perhaps the stable isnt firing on all cylinders.
A final point getting back to the St James Palace – what sort of a pacemaking ride was that from Michael Hills? He went off far far too fast. Never bothered to check where Frankel was or how far behind he was. Could it have been that Mr Hills was none too happy at playing the pacemaker role to a more junior jockey such as Tom Queally?
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
The Queen knighted Henry she didn’t deify him.
He is capable ofnearly
getting things wrong, the singling out of Queally has been uncomfortable to listen to and read.
He went off far far too fast. Never bothered to check where Frankel was or how far behind he was. Could it have been that Mr Hills was none too happy at playing the pacemaker role to a more junior jockey such as Tom Queally?
They all seem to do that (pacemakers that go off too fast). But the fact they keep repeating the percieved error and that the people who can afford pacemakers (usually Coolmore, Godolphin or Juddmonte) are among the cleverest in the business suggests that there must be more to it than meets the eye.
Perhaps, even if they are 15 lengths ahead and clearly going to collapse in a heap, they still manage to tow the field along at something approaching a reasonable pace and thus avoid a slowly run, tactical affair.
There was some discussion on ATR’s forum (or maybe the ‘Get On’ section) on pacemakers. The suggestion was (and I’m a bit hazy on this so apologies if I’ve got it wrong) that it didn’t make for a level playing field as only the richest could afford them (pacemakers that is).
Well, here’s the news, it’s not a level playing field anyway. The richest can afford the best horses, engage the best trainers, employ the best jockeys, pay for the best feed, afford the best vets. Being able to afford ‘sacrificial’ pacemakers (even those of the quality of a Jan Vermeer) is just another entry in a long list of ‘advantages’ the mega-rich enjoy in racing. Not ctiticising, just saying.
if I was on that horse I’d of gone for home 4f out too, knowing the engine you have under you its a
chance
to put on a show and create the finest spectacle Ascot has ever seen.
A shame that engine is a bit idle……….
Tactics should be win the race as comfortable as possible not take chances.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.