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Ian, I have no idea why you quoted my post, when you have ignored everything in it.
If you think Sam Thomas is being made a scape-goat, then good for you.
I have made no comment on Sam Thomas’ riding. My only point was that jockeys – Sam Thomas amongst them – will routinely look to get on the best horses possible. Jocking-off goes on all the time, it is considered an occupational hazard, and therefore why would there be a furore if ST was jocked-off Master Minded, in favour of a better (and more confident) pilot?
As for your comments about McCoy, if you think you can find any quotes from me suggesting he was not a "big race jockey", and only able to "ride certain types of horse", then be my guest. I should warn you, however, it will be somewhat of a fruitless search.
I think the majority of people agree PN should back his jockey and maybe he will but at the end of the day it simply is not his decision to make. If it was Ruby’s neck on the line that’s one thing but Sam is not first jockey nor is he Master Minded regular pilot and if the owner says he wants Billy Bunter to ride Master Minded then he will.
Sam Thomas gave up his rides at Leicester yesterday down to being "sore". As much as I have lost no faith in his ability, the lad is almost certainly at his lowest ebb at the moment (no doubt in part induced by overly-harsh criticism from some quarters) and I have to admit I’d have doubts about putting him up on one of the best chasers in the country come Saturday. Though equally, the last thing he needs just now is another kick in the nazzers (granted that shouldn’t enter Clive Smith’s thoughts too much).
Did Sam make a mistake with KS in the Betfair. 100% yes. He rode the horse into the upright of the fence….game over after that.
Did Sam make a mistake with Big Bucks. 50/50. Horse obv has issues jumping – but even i know that if you let the reigns out on the horse you lose control.Firefox – you mention the races from last year….esp Denman. You also use the term "steer"…. my suggestion would be that any of the top 20 jocks would have won on Denman last year. As it 100% ended up being a steering job for him.
His record on Master Minded isn’t too hot! If i was Clive Smith – I’d be making a play for someone else. Personally I’d try and get Glee on him, he is an expert in keeping a horse out of trouble.
Personally I’d try and get Glee on him, he is an expert in keeping a horse out of trouble.
Quite often well out of trouble…………in fact, so far out of trouble that the Stewards have bother sighting him through their goggles, eh underscore?
He has now added further fuel to the fire with the comments about the riding arrangements for Master Minded. That is really going to help Sam’s confidence isn’t it
His priority has to be to the horse/owners. If there is a problem, Sam can get his "confidence" back in races that are a lot less high profile. Not the Tingle Creek
The idea that Nichols is concerned about losing owners because he hasnt swept up every major race over the past three weeks is a bizarre one
Indeed in the case of Smith one can imagine he feels a degree of bitterness towards Thomas for being associated with the horse who denied Kauto a 2nd Gold Cup
I very much doubt it
Sam hardly gave Pasco a bad ride on Friday, and yet McCoy once again gave Straw Bear a less than "McCoy-esque" ride. Although nobody was asking for McCoy to be sacked on Friday.
I have nothing against ST and am of the view that there is less difference between the top jockeys than is often assumed, but Pasco was a nice comfortable victory and hardly the ride on which to judge how a jockey performs under pressure
Will be interesting to see the difference between McCoy on Straw Bear on his 3 runs to qualify for a handicap mark and what he does on him in the Grand Annual. That looks the plot with this horse to me.
Do you reckon they asked the horse to jump like a donkey to achieve this mark?
JohnJ.
Jockey’s cut each others throats all the time to pick-up plum rides – it’s always happened, so I don’t see why we need to shed crocodile tears for Sam Thomas. Loyalty is not a common commodity in the weighing room – it’s acknowledged that it’s every man for himself.
As far as Master Minded is concerned, the bottom line is this:
If Tony McCoy is available to ride your horse in the Tingle Creek, do you ignore him and instead give the ride to a low-confidence Sam Thomas?
What would you do in Clive Smith or Paul Nicholls shoes? It’s a no- brainer, as far as I’m concerned.
I completely agree with all the above, if Thomas produces the goods in the saddle he will have no worries about getting rides.
Will be interesting to see the difference between McCoy on Straw Bear on his 3 runs to qualify for a handicap mark and what he does on him in the Grand Annual. That looks the plot with this horse to me.
They’d still have to file down the fences at Prestbury Park by at least a foot overnight to pull that one off. With the best will in the world, there is a shortcoming about the little gelding’s ability to jump steeplechase fences adequately, and I think it’s a more intrinsic shortcoming than can be explained by campaigning in novices’ chases hitherto, or future plottage, or both.
It’s not an exact science by any means, before anyone rows in to say so, but as a horse bred to be more suited by 8f-12f on the Flat, I’d say that Straw Bear has already massively overachieved over jumps in his career to date. I genuinely don’t think there’s a lot more to come from him in this discipline, though, and less so over fences. Up to him to prove me wrong, methinks!
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I don’t recall saying he’ll win the Grand Annual but I’ll be amazed if that isn’t the plan.
I don’t recall saying he’ll win the Grand Annual but I’ll be amazed if that isn’t the plan.
I’d say you may be right my good man. A good Handicap mark is all thes boys want.
Not today T !!!
Well he certainly won’t be good enough for the Arkle, so I would imagine he will end up in handicap company over fences.
JohnJ
I don’t recall saying he’ll win the Grand Annual but I’ll be amazed if that isn’t the plan.
I know you didn’t – I was merely suggesting why it’s not necessarily a plot worth trying to execute with this particular creature.
All the discussion on Straw Bear to date does of course presuppose Nicky Henderson won’t have something else lined up to try to win "dad’s race" for him once again, anyway!
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
You really think that owners are going to jump ship from such a long standing and successful relationship because of a very marginal dip of form over a period of days?
as for Clive Smith and "bitterness", i think that from what weve seen of the man, we would need to have some (suprising) evidence of such warped thinking before making such a suggestion
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