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What exactly did Paul Nicholls say, regarding Sam Thomas’ ride on Kauto Star last week? ? ?
Paul Nicholls hasn’t directly criticized the ride Sam gave Kauto, but he’s kind of insinuated that he wasn’t happy with it.
Here’s a few of his comments about the race. Some are pasted from RP online, some are from the BBC and CH4, which I can’t remember word for word, but none have been taken out of context.
“He was on the inside and not really happy, whereas at Down Royal he had a lot more room and was tanking along.” RP ONLINE
“It was very difficult for Sam, as he had only ridden the horse once before. Denman is a more straightforward horse and he faced an incredibly hard job on Kauto. Ruby knows the horse well and he’ll hopefully be back for the King George.” RP ONLINE
“…It’s easy to look back on things and say you would do them differently. You have to remember that Ruby has ridden the horse seventeen, eighteen times, compared to Sam who has only ridden the horse once before…” BBC AINTREE 23/11/08
“…Just because Sam has had a couple of bad days and I’m not sending out too many winners, it doesn’t make him a bad jockey and me a bad trainer overnight…” CH4 NEWBURY 29/11/08
Hope that helps, Gaz.
Thanks, Bos.
Im not at all sure about this supposed plot. There is a lot of two and two equals five in punting circles and more often than not, what you see is genuinely what you get
Restricting a horses jumping ability is surely a dangerous game at any time? Ask Sam thomas
Surely SB will be back hurdling now?
So both his rides fell today. Not his fault – happens to the best. But he must be the must unlucky jockey around at the moment. If VWilliams had the odds on fav in the Tingle Creek would she be booking him? No thanks.
So both his rides fell today. Not his fault – happens to the best. But he must be the must unlucky jockey around at the moment. If VWilliams had the odds on fav in the Tingle Creek would she be booking him? No thanks.
How the hell would you know?
JohnJ.
Firefox,
I think it is more than fair to say Sam Thomas could do with a change of luck.
In these types of situation I’ve long been of the opinion that the beleagured jockey should take control of matters by simply asking his trainer/owners if he can take a short sabbatical away from the heat of race-riding in order to heal the physical and mental bruising he’s endured. Concentrate on riding work for a week or two, allow others to comment and offer advice on what they think he’s doing right/wrong, and generally just concentrate on regaining confidence. Taking such a unilateral decision, while it will mean losing riding fees, will deflect pressure from the retained trainer having to make the decision for him and jock him off high profile rides.
Some may interpret such a decision by the jockey alone as cowardly or yah-boo confirmation he’s ballsed-up; I would call it the actions of a real man, determined to do his job to the best of his ability.
For the record I regard Sam Thomas as a competent jockey, as you expect of one who spent time under the tutelage of Miss Williams, and wouldn’t criticise any of his recent mishaps bar the unseat in the Hennessy where I felt he was unbalanced and presented the horse poorly at the fence. Though in his defence Big Buck’s looks an unenviable ride.
So both his rides fell today. Not his fault – happens to the best. But he must be the must unlucky jockey around at the moment. If VWilliams had the odds on fav in the Tingle Creek would she be booking him? No thanks.
How the hell would you know?
JohnJ.
How the hell would i know….? I wouldn’t……but luckily she won’t be having that issue any time soon. He’s having a shocking run of luck/form….it would take some massive baws from Mr Smith to let him keep the ride.
In these types of situation I’ve long been of the opinion that the beleagured jockey should take control of matters by simply asking his trainer/owners if he can take a short sabbatical away from the heat of race-riding in order to heal the physical and mental bruising he’s endured. Concentrate on riding work for a week or two, allow others to comment and offer advice on what they think he’s doing right/wrong, and generally just concentrate on regaining confidence. Taking such a unilateral decision, while it will mean losing riding fees, will deflect pressure from the retained trainer having to make the decision for him and jock him off high profile rides.
Some may interpret such a decision by the jockey alone as cowardly or yah-boo confirmation he’s ballsed-up; I would call it the actions of a real man, determined to do his job to the best of his ability.
For the record I regard Sam Thomas as a competent jockey, as you expect of one who spent time under the tutelage of Miss Williams, and wouldn’t criticise any of his recent mishaps bar the unseat in the Hennessy where I felt he was unbalanced and presented the horse poorly at the fence. Though in his defence Big Buck’s looks an unenviable ride.
That’s a very well put and well written post, Drone.
Hills make McCoy 2/5 to ride Master Minded.
Not looking good for Sam….
I’ve seen this soundbite on RP site but where is the market for this on Hills website? What price Sam Thomas to retain the ride – bet they haven’t got that priced up because they know there is no way he should be odds-against.
Poor Sam – Really felt for him today when his horse (Zacharova) fell two out when looking a cert to win.
I’m very much in the ‘It’s not Sams fault’ camp but it is getting frustrating for Sam and Sams loyal followers, no doubt, to see him fall so often.
Give the lad the best confidence boost he can possibly have and let him ride Master Minded this Saturday and watch as not one person begrudges him a massive celebration when he passes the line in 1st place.
A very, very good post, Drone, although the main question does answer itself to an extent in the first paragraph.
The loss of income (and more besides, like momentum, kudos, or even face) would probably be enough to put most jockeys off taking a sabbatical in the same set of circumstances. I’m not sure what sort of basic pay Sam Thomas is on, but to me it wouldn’t necessary paint the sport in the most favourable of lights if – and it is an "if" – the second best jockey in the country’s best jumps yard could not afford to step away from the white heat of battle for a few days on purely financial grounds, even if it’s in the best interests of his career to do so.
Sam Thomas might well shun the sabbatical idea on the grounds of how it would look to Mr Nicholls if, in the face of a busy time of year and the man he is being paid to understudy incapacitated, he’d effectively choose to cede riding responsibility to outside riders and his boss’s third and fourth string riders.
And don’t forget that those other riders at Ditcheat are by no means hopeless – Nick Scholfield might have less experience of riding genuinely top-class animals than Thomas, but the same would apply to every rider of such animals at one stage in their lives. One just wonders if Thomas is in any way fearful of slipping irretrievably down – or off – the pecking order if gifting Scholfield (or Harry Skelton, or whosoever else) a chance to steal better rides which the other rider then grasps with aplomb.
All conjecture, of course, and Thomas may be the most phlegmatic and unaffected character in the weighing room for all I know. If not, though, the fear of not being given the opportunity to fail (or succeed, of course) in the first place may have as much of a part to play in matters past, present and future with him as the fear of failure itself.
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.
Geezus now I’m an ex-jockey….I was wondering who I was, I must have landed on my head mate and be suffering from amnesia…. wouldn’t happen to know if I was any good would you…………Alleged my backside mate……have owned and ridden out and even schooled at a few yards through choice and opportunity but never at any time did I make that claim..My Best friend was a Jockey and trainer before he was killed in an accident…I think you are confusing me with someone else………probably grasshopper who I hear loves to ride
Hogwash eh.ok lets put this put this in perspective for you….what you are saying is that ex-top jockey and current top trainer Paul Nicholls is employing a totally useless jockey to ride the one of the best 2 horses in the country in Denman and Kauto Star? That is pure and utter bullsit and if you think you know better than PN you should open a yard tomorrow. The lad has had a bit of bad luck which might well cost him the mount on Master Minded if the owner isn’t happy but if he was as useless as you are saying he wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes as PN wouldn’t risk his buisness for anyone he thought wasn’t up to standard………game over mate do yourself a favour stop trying to judge jockeys and let common sense tell you that these guys out there know what they are doing and to critisise from your armchair is the easiest thing in the world.
Fists, when your out of your depth your out of your depth. I have a feeling your going to lose this argument (I know sod all about the technicalities of riding I should add)..
Out of my depth.are you kidding me?.There’s a laugh… Some jumped up ex stable lass comes on this forum to slag off a perfectly good jockey who put her right in her place when she worked at Hen Knights and she has held a grudge against ever since……the difference between me and her is I know exactly who she is and she hasn’t a clue who I am. She’s way out of her depth and has no idea who she is messing with. She might get away with that sort of garbage on her own little regular forum but on here we’ a little bit more knowlegeable to take crap like her post seriously. The support on here for Sam Thomas has been great and rightly so. So what if he doesn’t ride Master Minded wasn’t his ride to start with……on the many good things he did last season he would no doubt have got the ride but like all jockeys you have good times and bad time…….You can bet the day will come when he is reunited with his old pal Denman a ride no one is likely to take away from him….not even Ruby.
Hills make McCoy 2/5 to ride Master Minded.
Not looking good for Sam….
I’ve seen this soundbite on RP site but where is the market for this on Hills website? What price Sam Thomas to retain the ride – bet they haven’t got that priced up because they know there is no way he should be odds-against.
Hills prices to ride Master Minded:-
4/11 McCoy
2 Thomas
12 Williams
12 Russell
20 Carberry
25 SchofieldHi Firefox
I’ve just got back from Folkestone and have been browsing through the forum as usual and was interested to hear your comments regarding Sam Thomas.
Zacharova’s fall had nothing to do with jockey error, infact he did exactly the right thing in the situation – letting the horse get in deep to the fence to pop it.
Unfortunately the horse didn’t get high enough and paid the penalty. You must be in a minority of one who thought he should have given the horse a kick in the belly asking for a long one in bottomless ground.
I wasn’t defending him through pity but in a genuine belief he did nothing wrong !
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