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I would imagine it is basic information such as who wants to go on or be careful my horse veers left at an obstacle. These I would consider horse and rider safety issues. Not sure why most of that could not be gleaned from the form book with homework and confirmed prior to the race purely by asking outside of that 5 minute window. Having good professional relations with fellow riders would allow that.
Maybe we put them all in changing cubicles like at swimming and then release them straight into the paddock so they cannot talk and no one gets any advantage.
Just a couple of points on this one.
In my experience the jump jockeys culture, and I make a clear distinction between the two codes, has always been what we would now consider toxic. The experienced members would always ‘bully’ and threaten verbally and physically those they considered below them. I think it was always considered part of the ‘toughening up/learning’ process that they felt was needed and part of the game.
I’m actually not sure this was a gender specific thing more a case of the rounding on someone they/he did not like/respect, some of the language was gender specific but I have heard worse than what was reported said to males. However this time someone had the courage to call it out and expose it. I have said before that racing is too insular and this behaviour was learnt and accepted for generations of jockeys and when it was widely condemned I am sure some will hold resentment. The culture should have changed 30 years ago but racing is always so far behind the rest of society.
As for Bryony as a jockey she is good and I would not be put off backing anything she is on. My opinion is that she rides with a long rein and allows the horse to go the pace they want most of the time, this sometimes looks like great pace management and also sometimes looks like her going off to fast which I have seen in a number of races. She also lets the horse run around a bit before fences and drift around bends which I think would annoy you if you were following her. I also think she is very strong in a finish and horses run for her.
Also when I worked in racing the stable staff were 95% male, this has changed a lot and as it does we will (and have) see more and more female jockeys and I think this will continue and I can see a time in the not too distant future where the gender split in riders is equal.
The other day a horse called Beat the Retreat ran and it transported me back to my earliest racing memories when I am sure a juvenile hurdler of the same name ran up a sequence for John Jenkins, I am sure he had two that did the same that year.
At the time I thought John Jenkins was a genius and then I spent a few weeks during my school holidays working there and my opinion altered.
All the usual suspects mentioned (Nicholls, Henderson, Mullins etc.) have proved that when the money is behind them and they have the raw material they can win the top races or get the horse to realise its potential, they have also had periods where they haven’t had the best in their yard and have looked like they have struggled. The same goes/went for Stoute and Cecil on the flat.
The O,Neill question is interesting but he is reliant on JP who does not seem to want to send him his best. Would O’Neill do any worse with Jonbon.
Horses and Owners make trainers. A lot of training nowadays seems to be keeping the human team happy and working through the logistics of having a 200 plus stable.
I worked for a trainer and we had a team that could have got any horse to fulfil its potential the one thing we had was a person at the top who basically loved horses but hated people and would fall out with owners left right and centre. So we struggled to keep anything of quality.
I voted Nicholls. I think he has been able to cope with a churn of human resource, a lot who have gone on to compete against him and has also seemed to replenish his horse stock by buying youngsters and bringing them on.
Genuine question with no agenda. Did any of those expensive horses she purchased on behalf of others do anything? It might be too early to judge most of them I guess.
I asked my wife last night. We have been together 25 years and she has no interest in racing but I thought she might have retained some names given the amount of time it is on the tv in our house or I talk about it to my Dad or friends still in the game.
She came up with Arkle and Frankel. To be honest I think she remembered Arkle from Only Connect last week.
‘She’s certainly every bit as good as some now getting more opportunities than her.’
I think that comment could be made about a dozen jockeys at any particular time and most would not have had the opportunities provided by her upbringing. Racings biggest issue with representing society and barriers to entry is the amount of nepotism.
When I worked in racing years ago it was quite brutal. Whilst still at school doing work experience at certain yards I was called horrendous things and received ‘tellings off’, also the odd whack too, for minor things and it was just seen as a sort of induction or toughening up process and was very normalised. I must admit I always just saw it as something you had to go through to get where you wanted to be. It was all very forelock tugging to anyone senior to you and you kind of felt you had voluntarily joined that world. Maybe I should have whistleblown but there was a distinct lack of HR departments.
It was also a very male dominated environment in yards which I feel (knowing some current yards) has been pretty much reversed which is also now bleeding through onto the racecourse albeit a bit too slowly.
I always felt even back in the 80’s that racing was very insular and resistant to change and lagged 15/20 years behind society so I reckon in 2040 it will be fine if it is still here.
3.20 Newbury – Remarkable
3.55 Newbury – Kodi Bear
3.35 Newmarket -Thikriyaat
3.00 Newmarket – Desert Encounter NAP
4.15 Ascot – Outback Traveller
4.00 Lingfield – Landofhopeandglory NAP
3.05 Ascot – Elite Army
2.15 Haydock – Gwafa3.45 Newmarket – Marcel
3.45 Newmarket – Buratino
2.30 Newmarket – Cotai Glory
2.00 Newmarket – Emerald NAP
4.10 Sandown – Bishop’s Road
4.10 Sandown – Theatre Guide
3.20 Haydock – Express Yourself NAP
3.20 Haydock – You’re Fired
Reserves
2.20 Sandown – Wolf of Windlesham2.55 Sandown – Menorah
3.15 Chelmsford – Tasleet
3.50 Chelmsford – Power Game
2.25 Ayr – Bristol De Mai NAP
3.00 Ayr – StenrubinReserves
4.10 Ayr – Seeyouatmidnight
2.40 Chelmsford – Besharah8.20 Wolverhampton – Magical Path NAP
2.15 Chepstow – One Style
2.35 Lingfield – Arnold Lane
4.15 Lingfield – PredilectionReserves
5.15 Aintree – The Last Samuri
4.20 Aintree – Knock House2.15 Doncaster – Keystroke
2.45 Doncaster – Man of Harlech
3.55 Doncaster – Belardo NAP
2.35 Newbury – Fingal BayReserves
2.15 Doncaster – Yourartisonfire
3.20 Doncaster – MobstaPrefer Top Notch each way myself at the prices. 4x the price of Identity Thief and not beaten far at Newcastle and Henderson’s horses peak at Cheltenham. Also has course and Festival form from last year’s Triumph so acts in a fast run race.
It looks a funny sub-standard renewal.
2.35 Kempton – Mon Successeur NAP
3.35 Kempton – Virak
2.20 Newcastle – Zaidiyn
2.50 Newcastle – Summery Justice
