He was on the best horse who had the best turn of foot. Lucida has won 2/7 now...A cracking filly but always excuses when beaten at the top table. An unlucky third?..No.
Perhaps she stood on a blade of grass that was 2mm longer than another? All opinions valid but you have been pocket talking all week long so perhaps best leave this debate to those who can actually adhere to objectivity?
Just watched it again and the ride wasn't as bad as first thought, pushed Lucida to get closer as they came into the home straight and the filly took a bit of time to pick up. The other godolphin filly pushed her wide which checked momentum but too fillies would overcome that, if everything went perfect I fee Lucida would have won but when does it all go perfect in racing
Pocket talking all week? The only other one I moaned about was The Grey Gatsby, and I think everyone would agree that he was an unlucky loser.
I was in The Grey Gatsby and was very unhappy it didn't win but I did back it going into it with the full knowledge that Jamie Spencer was riding so I can't be too annoyed it was my own fault!
If Jim Bolger told Kevin Manning to drop his filly out last, stay out the back until the field got into the straight and then come with a long sustained run down the outside then he was riding to instruction so it is the trainer’s fault for changing the tactics on the horse. If the jockey was told to just ride the race how he best thought according to how the race panned out then it is entirely Kevin Manning’s fault as he did not assess the race correctly and did not ride the filly as he had done at Newmarket so it is his fault. The next time Godolphin buy one of Jim Bolger’s charges they should either buy it outright and take it to Newmarket for Saeed bin Suroor or Charlie Appleby to train; or they should insist that they choose the jockey so that James Doyle, William Buick or anybody but Manning is aboard. With regard to Spencer’s ride on The Grey Gatsby, why am I not surprised that, having finished second in a valuable race, Kevin Ryan did not immediately come out and tell the media that the moron cost his horse the race. I think there is some unwritten etiquette that trainers do not slag off the jockey in public ten minutes after the race. Ervedya: races – 7; wins – 5; places – 2, once behind Found. Found: races – 6; wins – 2; places – 4, once behind Ervedya. Lucida: races – 7; wins – 2; places – 4, once behind Ervedya and Found.
Yeah, cos he'd want to ride the horse just like the last day to get beaten again wouldn't he... Wasn't the best ride ever, not helped by a less than ideal draw but that's racing. We've seen it loads this week
Lucida led with fifty yards to go at Newmarket and got caught by a better horse coming from behind. She was given every chance. If she had led at Ascot and been caught by Ervedya, then there would be no grounds for complaining.
Lucida hit the front far too soon and covered a good few yards more than the winner. I'd blame Manning more for that defeat than I would for yesterdays tbh. I can see Shergy's angle about the straight mile races a la the QE2 but I guess that brings in the draw/pace/ground bias you flat boys must contend yourselves with frequently
I think your being a little harsh, Manning is a good rider. He didn't give Lucida a great ride, but he's not become useless based on one poor ride. Even Moore rides the odd howler. And finally only an idiot would take a horse away from Bolger and give them to Bin Suroor or Appleby. They used to do this before, sending them to Bin Suroor from various trainers, and he'd always turn them into donkeys within a few months. This is why Godolphins new policy is to keep them with there original trainers
There is only a draw bias on the straight track when there are lots of runners like in the big handicaps and the sprints. There wouldn't be a draw bias in a 9 runner G1 mile race, as they're unlikely to split into different groups. There is no draw bias in the Queen Anne or QE2 for example
Bolger has provided them with two of their top four sires and is a much better trainer than the incoherent sand monkey or the hapless jug eared Appleby. Re Manning,he is much better than Doyle and the sob at the drop of hat Buick.
Doyle managed to assemble two of the worst rides of the season within an hour of each other at Leicester three weeks ago...he has continued his form into this week. The guy is moderate..still dining out on a treble at RA a few seasons ago.
