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Looking back at yesterday’s King George the differences between Sam Waley-Cohen and the top professionals became readily apparent. Ted Walsh highlighted some of the technical inadequacies but you didn’t need to be an expert on jockeyship to appreciate the glaring chasm between the polished skills of Richard Johnson (who rode runner-up Captain Chris) and Waley-Cohen who, in my opinion, almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a wholly amateur display.
Now, the Waley-Cohen’s have a perfect right to put up who they want and it’s clear much of their enjoyment of the sport comes from Sam’s very personal involvement. And punters can decide before the race whether they want to put their money on a horse ridden by the lad. Sam Waley-Cohen’s involvement has also, by and large, been a positive story for the sport.
But no one should kid themselves that Waley-Cohen is ANYWHERE near on a par with the professional riders. He has the raw talent and he clearly works hard at it but surely what is missing is the experience and match-sharp practice that comes from day-in, day-out competitive action. People will point to his big-race winners but should remember that he has frequently been given plum rides on horses laid out for specific races by one of the country’s leading stables.
Long Run seems prone to errors. But I begin to wonder if any of that is down to his jockey?
My reckoning is that you back Long Run at your peril, knowing that major, or combination of minor, errors could cost you your dough at any point in a race.
Yes, he’s entitled to ride it…but we’re also entitled to be critical when he makes a hash of it, as was the case yesterday.
Presumably the nine-day whip ban and £900 fine were all part of Mr Johnson’s ‘polished skills’?
Mike
Yes I think Ted & yourself sum it up perfectly well. Long Run to some looks an extremely tricky ride but to anyone who knows anything about race riding its clear to see Sam makes it look this way. And I would also say Sam has lost some of his ability you only have to look at his ride in the Hennessey. Long Run yesterday should have won the King George with ease. A polished rider like a Walsh or Geraghty can find a rhythm, balance a horse, see a stride at a fence & ultimately deliver the horse to win. The whole way up the run in Long Run was flicking his ears running around. He gets totally unbalanced by the rider at the last two fences and its to Long Runs credit he stood up & ultimately got back in front. Sam actually drops the reigns at one point on the home straight.
Despite all of this I was pleased to see him win for himself, the horse & his family. They bought the horse for days like yesterday and fair play to him because despite being a way behind the pros he’s now won a Gold Cup & 2 King George’s. I will say this though that Long Run deserves a huge amount of credit he has never finished out of the first three in his career and he has never fallen despite being in the deep end for a long time now despite only being 7.
There is no issue with many about Sam riding the horse but a lot including myself believe Long Run would have achieved much more with a pro on his back. Anyone who thinks differently doesn’t have a clue what they are talking about. The usual reply from these types of people is "It’s his horse he can do what he wants with it" which in fact never really has been disputed. Sam has never been the problem it’s the clueless opinions that seem to surround this very good but under achieving horse.As for Dickie Johnson he may have broken the farcical whip rule but if you can’t see that it was a brilliant ride in defeat you are also clueless.
I backed Long Run yesterday, as I did when he won the race two years ago. Two years ago I was confident the horse was good enough to beat the out of sorts and Tony McCoy ridden Kauto Star.
However, Cormack is right; Sam Waley-Cohen nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, due mainly, as I see it, from not only a lack of technical ability in the saddle but also from an apparent lack of confidence and uncertainty on his part. You could actually see him panicking as the pressure was applied. That said, Long Run doesn’t help matters with his iffy jumping.
It was Long Run’s bravery and staying ability which saw him through. Had a professional ( Geraghty, for example ) been on board, I have little doubt that the favourite would have won more comfortably.
Bearing this in mind, and all things considered, I shall be backing Bobsworth to win the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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Fair point Mike.
It’s not just a fair point Cormack, it’s a telling point and to you who’s been vociferous to the point of irrationality on whip use should surely have been
the
point. An ill-conceived and ill-considered thread Boss: your – particularly your – target for criticism should not have been the rather sweet if unpolished corinthian Waley-Cohen but the hard (surely far far far too hard for your liking Cormack) ‘professional’ Johnson
Yes, I concede the point about Johnson
– doesn’t make Waley-Cohen any better though!
(but I don’t concede that my whip views were irrational – events have proven them entirely rational but if you want to discuss this aspect perhaps a new thread might be better as this one is for people to debate SWC not my whip views, although I do take your point re- the irony of my comparing SWC to Johnson on this occasion – I’ve made an amateur error to match those of SWC’s!)
(but I don’t concede that my whip views were irrational – events have proven them entirely rational but if you want to discuss this aspect perhaps a new thread might be better
Let’s not go there, as I believe the young people are fond of saying
…all that could be said was said, and so we slept, if it were but uneasily…
Agree entirely Cormack.
A dreadful ride, and the horse won despite him, and not assisted by him.
I understand the connections right to put up who they want, but I would never back anything ridden by him against professionals.
In my view you should never send a boy to do a mans job.I backed Long Run yesterday, as I did when he won the race two years ago. Two years ago I was confident the horse was good enough to beat the out of sorts and Tony McCoy ridden Kauto Star.
I would be more interested in reading your thoughts on what happened when you backed him 1 years ago and he lost.
I can’t help thinking poor Sam is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.
If he wins well it is just down to the horse, if he loses or ALMOST loses it is his fault.
I agree with Nicky Henderson in that I thought he gave it an excellent ride. He was fantastic in the finish yesterday AND rode it within the rules.
Maybe it is just me but if you put him in a race with 10 professional riders all in different colours I would be hard pushed to spot he is the amateur. I think he has the talent to be a pro but has sensibly chosen a far more reliable profession!
Marcus Armytage put it very well in today’s Telegraph:
Sam Waley-Cohen’s inspired display on Long Run in the King George silences critics
A Christmas hug was clearly out of the question, but one on-off relationship was very much back on last night; that between amateur rider Sam Waley-Cohen and his critics, who often offer their opinions on his riding with the benefit of hindsight, a position of no physical risk to themselves, and in the belief that horses are similar to each other in the way that cars are.
And it goes without saying that much of their chat has been pocket-inspired. In the old days, of course, such commentaries would have stayed between the four walls, swirling in the smoky air of a betting shop with its windows blacked out. Now, of course, that sort of thing is all over the internet.
On the whole Waley-Cohen, 30, has kept his own counsel on the subject, put his head down and strived, like all good sportsmen, to improve.
Here, however, he and Long Run delivered their riposte in the best possible way by showing guts, courage and no lack of fitness, to come back from a length and a half down at the last and beat Captain Chris a neck in a finish in which neither horse seemed to be able to get much out of a trot.
Despite this being only Waley-Cohen’s 11th ride of the season, there was nothing amateur about it. He galvanised Long Run, took him from his wide position on the track back to the side of Captain Chris to further aid his cause and, in the dying strides, drove him back past the second winning-most jump jockey of all time, Richard Johnson, who, in his desperation to win a first King George, was banned for nine days and fined £900 for excessive use of the whip.
In registering this success Waley-Cohen, if he was not already, became conclusively the most successful amateur rider – and 5lbs claimer for that matter – in the post-war era with now two King Georges, a Gold Cup, numerous races over the big fences at Aintree and a Grand National second among the accolades of his 30-winner career.
On Boxing Day, it was the sort of dark, wet afternoon when many modern business men like Waley-Cohen might have thought a day in a centrally-heated office was a preferable option to getting drenched while risking life and limb in a muddy corner of Surrey.
But the racecourse, and particularly Kempton, which has been a lucky track for him, is not so much a second home as a principal residence for Waley-Cohen and, showing a true Corinthian spirit in an increasingly-professional world, he also notched the first double of his career having won earlier in the afternoon on his father’s homebred Rajdhani Express.
“It’s probably the sweetest of all Long Run’s victories,” he explained afterwards. “Until you’ve been beaten a few times you realise how damn difficult this is and we never lost faith in the horse. He fought today – he’s a fighter and he’s a superstar.
“I’m delighted for him, he’s had his critics, I’ve had my critics but we answered them in the only way that counts. You have to give the critics what they deserve, and that’s deciding who to listen to and who not to listen to and sometimes that isn’t always easy.”
With the critics off their back Long Run and Waley-Cohen will now try to emulate Kauto Star again by regaining the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. On this form you would not bet against it.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Plucky Corinthians are admirable, but a champion racehorse deserves a proper jockey to achieve its full potential. SWC should indulge himself in amateur riders chases; a great young lad, but out of his depth.
Sam used to be one of the best amateur riders in the country, but doesn’t get the practice these days and now just a reasonable 5 lb claiming amateur. Evident even before Boxing Day he’s lost confidence at the obstacles. Losing ground at both the final two fences and Long Run did well not to fall at the last given little or no assistance from the saddle. However, give Sam credit for switching his mount over to race with Captain Chris. Without which the outcome would probably have been different. I for one like the amateur going in to battle with the pros. Long Run’s absence from the winners enclosure is not only the Cohens “fault” if fault is what we’re calling it. His trainer must (imo) take most of the blame.
The race confirms to me Nicky Henderson has been losing races with Long Run when he should’ve won them. Take a look at the King George finish. Particularly the replay of the last couple of fences from the camera on the inner. When Long Run hits the front pricking his ears he idles badly. Sam gets him over from the middle to race with Captain Chris. With another horse to race picks up again, but still with ears pricked. In my opinion the roar of the crowd is putting off Long Run. If connections were to go back to ear plugs worn in the race itself (not just the preliminaries) he’d not idle as much and go clear of his field. There’s also the fact Long Run has jumped better with them in than out, put off by hearing his rivals? Probably still capable of his old superior form given ear plugs.
Without doubt Long Run would have a better chance of winning the Gold Cup with Barry on board. But he’d also be a lot shorter (probably too short). Jockeyship is given too much prominance in most punters selections. With Sam – punters and bookmakers alike have underestimated his chance (particularly if ear appendages are reinstated). My advice is take the 8/1 with Boylesports now! Corals 5/1 is more realistic.
Value Is EverythingI would be more interested in reading your thoughts on what happened when you backed him 1 years ago and he lost.
Indeed. I am more than happy to oblige.
I did back him last year – that’s three Long Run KG win bets in a row – two wins, one loss. My faith and all my KG bets were placed mainly on the horse’s love of Kempton, and when Kauto took part, the perceived age advantage over the Nicholls horse.
Long Run lost last year due to a combination of things. A rejuvenated Kauto Star, who had already beaten him at Haydock, was re-united with the best NH jockey in the world; the outcome being that both champions had too much class and tactical nous for the out of form Long Run and his much less talented ( and oft times, hapless ) amateur pilot.
Hope that helps.
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Long Run lost last year due to a combination of things. A rejuvenated Kauto Star, who had already beaten him at Haydock, was re-united with the best NH jockey in the world; the outcome being that both champions had too much class and tactical nous for the out of form Long Run and his much less talented ( and oft times, hapless ) amateur pilot.
Hope that helps.
Great! thanks.
Now if you wrote this before the King George last year I doubt you would of had a bet on Long Run in truth lol.
Great! thanks.
Now if you wrote this before the King George last year I doubt you would of had a bet on Long Run in truth lol.
Maybe…
but hope springs eternal… and a fool and his money etc. 
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Waley-Cohen who, in my opinion, almost snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a wholly amateur display
Sam Waley-Cohen’s inspired display on Long Run in the King George silences critics
It’s a laugh innit?
Having watched the race a few more times the conclusion seems obvious to me: Waley-Cohen rode an adequate if at times unbalanced finish on a horse who wasn’t particularly keen on assisting
I saw nothing that could mark W-C as "wholly amateur" (whatever that means) nor anything that could warrant the term "inspired display", though one would hardly expect a lesser superlative from a member of the incestuous little village
Were it not a soft ‘n’ easy target atop I doubt anyone would have given the ride a second thought
We’re unlikely to ever know but for those who’ve leapt onto the overcrowded ‘replace him with a proper jockey’ bandwagon, I’m of the opinion that W-C may infact be an ideal rider for Long Run, who being the difficult type he is may well resent the er… ‘strong handling’ of a professional
but hope springs eternal… and a fool and his money etc. 
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