The blind spot

[andyod]

Paddy Brennan’s departure from Nigel Twiston-Davies yard and Murtagh’s departure from Ballydoyle point out a sad failure of trainers to see beyond family.Better to send the kids to another yard than to screw up your own relationship with the professional jockey who does what he does for a living.If the kids are good enough they will emerge in time in their own right as jockeys and then one pro can replace the other without question. If the jockeys in question were good enough to get the job in the first place why are they not now good enough to ward off the young unproven scion?

[insomniac]

What you say is quite true and rational Andy, but fortunately (or unfortunatley depending on your point of view), we’re dealing with humans, who sometimes put heart above head and that shouldn’t always be seen as a bad thing.
How many people have started up a business and then handed it on to the next generation? Lots and lots. If you’re a stake/shareholder and don’t like it and think that a non-family member would have been better at the helm then you can sell your shares/stake in the company.
Why shouldn’t a trainer go in for a bit of nepotism? It’s not illegal to give preference to a family member and, if you’re an owner or a punter and don’t like it then move your horse somewhere else and don’t back the animals ridden by the family sprog.
If I were a leading traier and my son was only an okay rider I’d still give him the chance to ride big winners for the yard even if it did pi?s-off better jockeys who might otherwise have expected the ride. Wouldn’t you in similar circumstances?

[EmmyK]

I couldn’t agree more. I think nepotism is pretty inevitable, but I think it might bring about a bit too much too soon for some younger jockeys.

[andyod]

I totally agree that nepotism is inevitable with the national hunt trainers who are normally family type operations.You hire the father you get stuck with the son.National hunt horses may race for seven years.So sooner or later if your horse is good enough you will get the proper jockey.But in a totally professional operation with world class horses,jockeys and world class opposition where a flat horse has less chances to run and win one should not be stuck with family issues. When your horse is being used to train the jockey that is not good enough at the top level.

[Author]

Posts