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I agree that Fallon could easily have been the decoy to get the better odds for the winner.
Aidan O’Brien strikes me as one of the most professional trainers around. I recall the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last October when, after the first race, he and Heffernan walked the entire course, clearly assessing the state of the ground. Mount Nelson went on to win a couple of hours later. And how many trainers do you see escorting their charges to the stalls (eg George W) or walking them through the pre-race parade (Eagle Mountain yesterday)? As much as I respect the likes of Stoute, Gosden and all the other leading trainers the personal attention that O’Brien invests is notable and should earn the respect of all serious race-goers.
Of Course O’Brien is an excellent and top trainer. To deny that would be ridiculous. The extent of the firepower he has behind him would be daunting to a lesser man and must put him under great strain . Last year he had 184 horses in his stable – which putting the private purchases for which there is no published price in at the average – were bought at a cost of approx $120m. He ran 125 of which 60 (32.4%) won a total of 73 races. These figures are not of themselves that remarkable in that many smaller trainers have over 40% of the horses in their care winning in a particular season and a higher % of wins to stable inmates. What is remarkable is the quality and depth of the string and their ability to win the race they are targetted at.
I dont personally take much notice of his personal touch as does Longchamp Lad. Henry Cecil and Michael Stoute pay their staff the compliment of knowing them to be totally professional in their jobs and would perceive it as an insult to their staff if they had to chase around with a grooming brush etc. Its just a different style.Balleydoyle don’t run horses in the Irish Derby to get a good betting price. They run them to create high price stallion fees.
richard
It’s impossible to assess APO’s ability,given that he has the option of rejecting at least as many top end yearlings as he ends up taking into training.Being a member of that exclusive club which can afford to stake,maintain and travel any horse adds to the lopsidedness of the equation.He has to be held to a higher standard.The best horse he has trained in terms of coming up at the highest level three seasons in a row is High Chapparal.He came across as a temprementally cold,gelding like performer whose chances of succeeding at stud rest solely with the number of mares covered.In contrast Hawk Wing is probably the horse he himself might nominate as the greatest natural talent and he got the better of him.Ace another with precocity tailed off toward the end also.These are examples that come readily to mind and not selected choices that support my supposition.Another would be George Washington with whom he is currently wrestling.
If you’re remit is to produce colts and you’re adequately provisioned to do it, then that is the standard to which you should be held.It’s not as if there is anybody else knocking out good resilient colts monotnously,but when all the tinpot age restricted,group racing is subtracted from the total,Ballydoyle’s results are mixed.Competitve races that require form and not money to get a start are the yardstick,so its the Arc,Breeder’s Cup,Prix de L’Opera,Kentucky Derby,Dubai World Cup,Sheema Classic,KIng George,Jacques le Marois,Japan and Melbourne Cup etc.
He is clearly a sound reader of a horse,in the respect that Gosden works with a white cane,labrador and night vsion goggles,and he puts the pedal to the floor when he thinks the time has come.His much reputed fastidiosness smacks a little Kim il Jong and must grate on the staff and leads you to the ultimate question about APO,why do it?If he hasn’t got enough money and personal assets by now why in god’s name be somebody else’s man unless you doubt your ability?
Aidan O’Brien strikes me as one of the most professional trainers around. I recall the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last October when, after the first race, he and Heffernan walked the entire course, clearly assessing the state of the ground. Mount Nelson went on to win a couple of hours later. And how many trainers do you see escorting their charges to the stalls (eg George W) or walking them through the pre-race parade (Eagle Mountain yesterday)? As much as I respect the likes of Stoute, Gosden and all the other leading trainers the personal attention that O’Brien invests is notable and should earn the respect of all serious race-goers.
As galejade says, the Stoutes Gosdens trust thier staff to be professional enough to do their jobs, stall handlers have a job to do, and most of them have been doing it for donkeys years, what do they think when a trainer comes down and starts telling them what to do ?, personaly if I was one of the stall handlers I would have told him where to get off.
All this nit picking by O Brien seems to me, to be a bit of a show, "look at me, look at all my attention to detail" no other trainers go to such extremes, the great MV O Brien trusted his staff and the stall handlers to do their job and his record both NH & Flat speaks for it self, and he didn’t have hundreds of horses, he had a much more selective bunchQuote from Paul Curtis of Racing Post: "It is not a result for strict pounds-per-length calculations and could be rated anything."
Anyone would think we had not had races run on soft to heavy going with wide-margin winners before.
Aidan O’Brien strikes me as one of the most professional trainers around. I recall the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud last October when, after the first race, he and Heffernan walked the entire course, clearly assessing the state of the ground. Mount Nelson went on to win a couple of hours later. And how many trainers do you see escorting their charges to the stalls (eg George W) or walking them through the pre-race parade (Eagle Mountain yesterday)? As much as I respect the likes of Stoute, Gosden and all the other leading trainers the personal attention that O’Brien invests is notable and should earn the respect of all serious race-goers.
As galejade says, the Stoutes Gosdens trust thier staff to be professional enough to do their jobs, stall handlers have a job to do, and most of them have been doing it for donkeys years, what do they think when a trainer comes down and starts telling them what to do ?, personaly if I was one of the stall handlers I would have told him where to get off.
All this nit picking by O Brien seems to me, to be a bit of a show, "look at me, look at all my attention to detail" no other trainers go to such extremes, the great MV O Brien trusted his staff and the stall handlers to do their job and his record both NH & Flat speaks for it self, and he didn’t have hundreds of horses, he had a much more selective bunchYeah right Madman,
AOB is a showman….
JohnJ.
The first thing Aidan did on TV after the race was sincerely thank his team at home, he’s a superb trainer, he’s anything but a showman!
He blatantly loves the limelight, have you never seen how comfortable he is being interviewed on live television?
Madman,
If your going to continue to spout nonsense please at least enlighten us as to what you base your opinions on.. Aidan O’Brien got himself where he is through being a bl**dy good NH trainer then, somehow (Without any talent or natural horsemanship) got himself the job at Ballydoyle and has since won more group 1’s than posts you’ve made about fallon..
He might be a bit of a control freak but I think you’ll find that many of the worlds most successful businessman are…
PS – Corm, the forum looks great..
Madman,
If your going to continue to spout nonsense please at least enlighten us as to what you base your opinions on.. Aidan O’Brien got himself where he is through being a bl**dy good NH trainer then, somehow (Without any talent or natural horsemanship) got himself the job at Ballydoyle and has since won more group 1’s than posts you’ve made about fallon..
He might be a bit of a control freak but I think you’ll find that many of the worlds most successful businessman are…
PS – Corm, the forum looks great..
I know a father and son who stall handle all over Ireland, and they told me that the stall handlers were not too pleased with O Briens interference.
Yes AP a is good trainer Aragorn, but as said before there is a lot of good trainers who could do just as a good a job if they had such beautiful breads going through their hands year in year out. A lot of the staff at Ballydoyle have been there years, working with the great MV, you certainly won’t get a job at Ballydoyle if you can’t do your job, so why doesn’t AP just let them get on with it. You never see Stoute, Cecil, Bin Suroor etc jumping in and out of cars, talking on mobile phones racing around the racecourse, pestering people at the start, they saddle them up, give their Jockeys their riding instructions and let their professional staff do the rest, and the stall handlers. And I still believe all the nit picking is a bit of an act.And I still believe all the nit picking is a bit of an act.
It may be a personality "fault" (for want of a better word) but I don’t think it’s an "act"
Saeed Bin Suroor doing a good job????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice one madman
I didn’t say anything about doing a good job cavelino, did I ??
Have Timeform learned nothing from their mistakes regarding Celtic Swing and Hawk Wing? Why do they continue to rate impressive one-off performances on bottomless ground so highly?
I have no axe to bear with my ex-employers here, I just think they repeatedly let themselves down in these situations.
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