"You have to admire Fallon the jockey but it does look ugly and he doesn't seem to use his legs at all." Bustino, agreed, and he tends to lean a bit in the saddle, with his head on one side. However, he has tremendous balance and generates great timing with his hands and arms. There's an analogy in golf between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els- similar to Fallon versus Moore. Tiger uses everything when thrashing the ball off the tee. Ernie is passive in his lower body but generates great speed and wonderful timing with his hands and arms. The end result is a similar distance but better accuracy from Els. Also, Els is liable to be able to play the game long after Tiger's body has cried "enough." Likewise, Fallon will be able to ride well into his fifties, given the motivation. PS. Moore is not unreminiscent of Joe Mercer- with his rhythmical, sustained drive for the line.
Absolutely right Ron. I think we need a defence of the tiny jockey league set up. If you weigh 6st 7lb where are you going to get a job these days? I have every sympathy with OddDog's argument but it's interesting to think what that would have meant. Doug Smith would never have won all those championships. Carson would never have been spoken of in the same breath as Eddery. If you rode at 8st 4lb as Mercer did or 8st 7lb as Piggott did you could only ride the topweights in handicaps. That has changed as top weight seems to be 9st 12lb or even 10st now in flat races. In their era 9st 7lb was top and because the pattern was as it is today there was often a Group 2 horse at that weight with weights going down to 7st. Anyway interesting idea OddDog. Why isn't Callan rated more and why did he lose his job at Varian's? Similarly Seb Sanders seemed to do little wrong yet has lost out with Prescott and Becket. What happened?
I don't think you'll ever see a better ride round Cheltenham than the one he gave Bellvano to win the 2012 Johnny Henderson Grand Annual - the perfect hold up ride, timed to absolute perfection. Honoured by my Avatar.
I wonder to what extent Joseph gets first pick when Ryan Moore's available. I have a suspicion that it's no coincidence the best jockey was on the best horse in The Derby. I'm pretty sure Moore could have the Ballydoyle stable jockey's job if he was prepared to move his family to Ireland.
