- This topic has 12 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 6 months ago by
.
- Posts
Ruby obviously has a gentlemans agreement with Messrs Nicholls and Mullins over the horses he rides. However, it might not be quite so easy with some of the owners in the yard.
Ruby Walsh was on board Celestial Halo to win the Triumph Hurdle and when placed in the Champion Hurdle and Messrs Nicholls and Stewart will undoubtedly want to retain his services. However, this is where the potential problem lies. Hurricane Fly is also ridden by Walsh and many consider him to be a Festival banker at this stage.
We could see a new jockey on Celestial Halo this weekend. Ive read that Ruby is likely to ride at Down Royal this weekend when Celestial Halo is entered at Wincanton in the ELite Hurdle. If so will the new jockey keep the ride for the year?
Also, if Ruby gets off Celestial Halo will he also be forced to give up the ride on Big Bucks?!
I doubt it..
Ruby Walsh will tell them who he rides and not the other way around.
He is just a giant at Ditcheat that they wouldnt dare push his buttons after all the victories he has given them.
Mind you Stewart is supposed to be a right ""*& if reports are to believed so i wouldnt be suprised if he throws his toys out of the pram.
Clive Smith certainly is a different animal that Stewart and will have Ruby Services on his horses no matter what.
I’m sure Ruby Walsh will ride the one he suspects has the greatest chance of winning. I can’t see them taking him off Big Bucks under any circumstances considering how well he obvously gets on with the horse. . . . .
Looking ahead down the line, Ruby could potentially have some amount of selection headaches in the run up to Cheltenham.
Arkle: Tataniano/Mikael D’Haguenet/Cousin Vinny/Sports Line
Champion Hurdle: Hurricane Fly/Celestial Halo/Quevega
Sun Alliance: Fiveforthree/Mikael D’Haguenet/Pride Of Dulcott
Champion Chase: Master Minded/Barker
Stayers Hurdle: Big Bucks/Fiveforthree
Gold Cup: Kauto Star/Cooldine/Denman/Glencove Marina
Ruby rides two at The Maze tomorrow, but he’s booked to ride at Wincanton on Saturday, including Celestial Halo in the Elite Hurdle. Comments on this thread about Andy Stewart are ignorant in the extreme, based on my experience.
I am only reporting what another member from a another forum told me.
He was extremly rude to him due to not showing his owners/trainers badge correctly in the relevant area of the racecourse.
While i can’t say i have never met the man…and he could be the gent, but this is what a young syndicated owner said and it nearly put him off racing for life
This so called "dilemna" faced by Ruby is always overplayed.
He will always ride Kauto Star & Master Minded above all and sundry and will also do the same aboard Big Bucks.
The likes of Fiveforthree has been difficult to train and will more than likely remain in the staying hurdle division because Mullins won’t want to forego his novice tag.
Willie will keep his novices apart from one another until post Xmas anyway and should have a pecking order established by then. If the likes of Mikael D’Haguenet or Cousin Vinny is rated above the likes of Tatiano in the pecking order he will choose one of them or vice versa.
Tad unfair on Andy Stewart also, as Rory alluded to previously, given his support of not just the Nicholls yard but the sport in general, without which we wouldn’t see Ruby facing a conundrum in the first instance.
Ruby might have a headache or two over a few of his rides but the Champion Chase certainly won’t be one of them! I think that’s probably his easiest decision all year.
I doubt it..
Mind you Stewart is supposed to be a right ""*& if reports are to believed so i wouldnt be suprised if he throws his toys out of the pram.Andy Stewart is a gent of the highest order in my experience. Don`t know why your mate didn`t have his badge on or why Andy commented on it,he wouldn`t normally get involved in such frivolities
Echo the defence of Mr Stewart – as obliging and courteous a high-profile jumps owner as we’ve ever dealt with, along with Bill Frewen.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Wallace No.7 states "I am only reporting what another member from a another forum told me."
Golden rule in life, Wallace – only ever believe that which you yourself, have seen, heard or experienced. Even then, you may still be hiding behind that thin veil of delusion we call ‘our’ truth.
KI wasnt trying to make a comment about Andy Stewart. Ive never met him and have only ever seen from afar.
My point was more to do with whats happened with other owners previously. If a jockey gets off one of his horses loses the rides on the others! I also feel sorry for Tom Queally who has lost the ride on Fleeting Spirit in the Breeders Cup in favour of Frankie.
One thing is for sure if it wasnt for people like Andy Stewart the sport would be in a poorer shape.
- Total Posts 17716
Looking ahead down the line, Ruby could potentially have some amount of selection headaches in the run up to Cheltenham.
Arkle: Tataniano/Mikael D’Haguenet/Cousin Vinny/Sports Line
Champion Hurdle: Hurricane Fly/Celestial Halo/Quevega
Sun Alliance: Fiveforthree/Mikael D’Haguenet/Pride Of Dulcott
Champion Chase: Master Minded/Barker
Stayers Hurdle: Big Bucks/Fiveforthree
Gold Cup: Kauto Star/Cooldine/Denman/Glencove Marina
No one but no one tells Paul Nichols what they are going to ride that’s for sure..not even Ruby……they can ask but at the end of the day it’s a well known fact the big man makes the decision 100% in that department. Apparently that’s why Ruby was so irate at Tommo when asked if he had chosen the wrong one? He never made the choice PN did as always and that’s what he meant when he said "you didn’t have to ask that"
When it comes to Hurricane Fly and Celestial Halo if both are in top form come the Champion Hurdle…..anybodies guess as he is without doubt IMO the best jockey riding today including McCoy and both will want him to ride.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.