We’ve all heard a jockey get off a winner and describe it as "the best I’ve ever ridden" but clearly their assessment is frequently wide of the mark. Pat Eddery was a jockey who seemed incapable of accurately assessing the ability of what he was riding despite being a great jockey.
Which jockeys are worth listening to (and just as importantly ignoring) when they comment on the ability of their mounts?
The comment regarding Eddery (other than him being a great jockey) is possibly one of the most laughable that I have ever heard.
As a jockey in his 20s he over hyped a horse of Peter Walwyns (Leonardo da Vinci I think it was) and therefore he tended away from nailing his colours to any mast publicly thereafter.
All you had to do was follow his choices from the many top stables / retainers he had, and he had an unerring accuracy in choosing correctly. Therefore calling him in any way a poor judge is totally wide of the mark.
He also seemed unerringly accurate in winning on other jockeys cast offs e.g. Walter Swinburns incorrect choices on Sir Michael Stoutes horses
I probably didn’t express myself very well, Coggy. I was referring to a jockey’s spoken post-race assessment rather than his abilty to pick the best horse to ride in a particular race.
Sorry Tuffers – my misinterpretation of your point.
As clarified, I am in total agreement. As mentioned he was embarassed by the one that came back to bite him, and therefore he was reticent to give anything away publicly
Sorry Tuffers – my misinterpretation of your point.
As clarified, I am in total agreement. As mentioned he was embarassed by the one that came back to bite him, and therefore he was reticent to give anything away publicly
Which jockeys would you say tend to give an accurate post-race assessment and which ones aren’t worth listening to?