I quite agree Barney - and I've always done ok with him from a punting perspective but he really drives me up the wall and back down again. I know you're not a fan of AP McCoy but if I was a regular at the Arsenal I know who I'd rather find myself sat next to out of the two of them. I'm not a violent man but if i had to spend much time with Detorri I'd be slopping out in the Scrubbs for the next 20 years.
If I can go somewhat off thread here, when people talk of "poor Derbys" (and I believe the 2015 will prove above average) it takes me back many years to 1973. Myself and three friends travelled from York to London for the weekend for two days racing at Lingfield (Fri/Sat) which included the two classic trials. A week or so earlier I had placed two weeks wages ew on a French filly, Allez France, for the Epsom Derby at 14/1 and was more than happy as fancied horses flopped in their trials and Allez France had become the new favourite at 4/1. She raced in France that Sunday and was well odds on. On the Saturday a maiden race at Lingfield was won by a horse called Morston and later in the Derby Trial the fancied classic hopes disappointed, I was more than happy. In those days French racing results were published the following day so I rushed to the newsagents stall at Kings Cross Station on Monday morning to buy a sporting life full of hope. Disaster, Allez France had been beaten and was out of the Derby betting, the Wildenstein camp declared when asked about Epsom "What's the point in bringing the filly to England to race over 12 furlongs when she obviously doesn't even stay 10 ?" Freddie Head concurred. I was not a happy man. Derby day came and the once raced maiden winner Morston duly won, I backed Cavo Doro ew at 33/1 and he came second so I recouped some money. As her career developed Allez France won over 1m 2 1/2 f several times and the following season won the Arc over 1 1/2 m. Those words must have come back to haunt the Wildensteins and their connections, she would surely have won that 1973 Derby with two legs tied together. So when talk of "poor Derbys" comes round I just smile, or try to.
"Also, why wasn’t old boy Gok commenting on the fashion and matters in general??? He may be the 2nd campest chap in the Isle, behind that bloke who calls himself Prince Harry, but at least he offers some sort of opinion and isn’t as dull as most of the others on the broadcast." Can't wait for Royal Ascot to see Gok again. Last year he did better with his selections than the so called "experts". He's quite entertaining too
What is wrong with Dettori showing emotion when he's just won our premier race? I think it's nice to see how much it actually means to the jockey. I know Detorri would have won a few quid for riding the winner, but he's a very rich man anyways, so I think his reaction was genuine, and it meant a great deal to him just to win the race. He didn't try to take the spotlight off the horses either, he declared himself a passenger, and gave all the credit to the horse. Kissing John Gosden was a little over the top, but that's what Italians do
He's a knob. I totally agree Barney. I imagine you have the inside on Openheimer's reaction but it looked pretty evident on Saturday that he wasn't best pleased.
You know what your getting when you book Dettori to ride, so I don't think Oppenheimer would have had any issues with his reaction, as it was to be expected. Also who is going to get the hump with a jockey who's just ridden a winner for them, that will make him millions and millions in future stud fees
Try telling that to the owners of the horses running at Goodwood yesterday which good ole Frankie was bookie to ride but then didn't even bother showing up for Good for the game my arse, good for himself definitely!
Maybe you would Ron but out of the couple of hundred who have won it not many have. I think opinion was always going to be divided on this but I cannot stand the man.
So he pulled a sicky at work, after winning the Derby the day before. Hardly the crime of the century. Not sure why you should care about it so much anyways, it's not like you owned the horses he didn't ride. As a punter you can check the jockey changes before you decide to bet
I really don't mind it either. It's the biggest prize of the year for most so it's going to create emotion that is not scripted when a jockey wins. There's enough sycophants out there giving the same boring answers to questions time and time again to make their owners/trainer happy. If Ryan Moore had of won you'd think he was going to a funeral in his interview. And I don't have nothing against Ryan Moore by the way. It was just an example. He's a brilliant jockey, as is Frankie.
Good post. It wasn't a Saturday (it was on the Friday) and it wasn't a maiden. In those days they had maidens at closing and that was the race Morston won first time out. He beat the favourite Kinglet (trained by Hern and ridden by Mercer), who had won a maiden a few weeks before. It wasn't a good Derby I'd grant that but it's a bit hard to knock Morston. Budgett was no fool and always said he was a far better horse than Blakeney. Apparently the gallop he did before the Great Voltigeur had to be seen to be believed. A few days later he broke down and never galloped again. I'm sure you are right Allez France would have beaten him but it took something to win a Derby on only his 2nd start (his jockey was told to give him an easy race by the way).
I think most found his reaction pretty comical to be honest. The size of the cup made it all the more ammusing. I think a lot of it is to do with not being comfortable in the spotlight. Guys like Dettori love it, but guys like Dufner and Moore, whilst they may feel delighted inside, they aren't comfortable with showing it
