DUBAI WORLD CUP winner Silvestre de Sousa has claimed the first he knew of a newly arranged job share with Kieren Fallon as Saeed Bin Suroor's stable jockey was when he heard the news announced on television on Sunday. De Sousa was speaking at Warwick on Monday when out of luck on five-non Godolphin rides. He has been a retained rider for the operation since February 22, 2012 and was on board Investec Derby prospect True Story for his seven-length win in the Feilden Stakes, a noted trial, at Newmarket last month. However, he discovered on Sunday that Fallon would be riding the exciting colt at Epsom and the situation appeared to have put De Sousa's nose out of joint. Asked for his reaction to the new arrangement in tandem with Fallon and losing out on the pick of rides, he said: "I don't want to comment about it. But it was a surprise to me too. "I knew nothing about it until I heard it on the TV. That's all I want to say." De Sousa added that he was disappointed at losing the ride on the Derby second favourite and, asked further whether he has a good relationship with Fallon, he said: "Yes, all right. Good." De Sousa had been riding at Newmarket on Sunday when third on Godolphin's heavily backed Ihtimal in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas. He has shared in the operation's sweetest moments in recent months, winning the Champion Stakes on Farhh at Ascot in October then in March storming to victory in the $10 million World Cup, the richest race on the planet, on African Story.
This is a very odd appointment in my book. I like Fallon and would consider him one of the best of his generation at his best, but although still a good jockey and deserving of the rides he gets, it must surely be recognised his best days are behind him. Godolphin have always sought out the up and coming Jockeys in the likes of Frankie, De Sousa and Barca and so to see them going for Fallon is a surprise. Where does this leave Barca? The other point of note is that Fallon has a history of also making the headlines for the wrong reasons every now and again, which is surely something the boys in blue could well do without after last season. I would have liked to see them give the job to someone like Adam Kirby or Jim Crowley, these two may not be trendy names but they let nobody down when riding. I could also have seen Buick leaving Gosden as well. I believe his first retainer is to Princess Haya (Shiek Mo's wife) and The Gosden thing is informal. I think Godolphin could have a good year this year actually. On the jockey front I was pleased to see Paul Hanagan ride a five timer today. I have given him some stick at times since he has had the Hamdan job as he has ridden some shockers and has looked to be getting weaker rather than stronger in a finish. He is clearly a very decent man however and so it's nice to see things start to look up, as with whoever rides the Godolphin horses, he will not be short of ammunition this season I feel.
Good points Blue but Kirby and Crowley are not top class pilots imo...Hanagan is no better than the guy he replaced if we are being honest. As for Buick,I feel his days are numbered.His ride at Goodwood last year in the Gordon Stakes when he lost his reins close home was very poor...his melt dowm at the BC didn't help either..redolent of Jacob at Cheltenham and Nicholls took the right action to replace him..Buick will go the same way. Moore is so far ahead of the rest atm and the Ballydoyle job is his,has been for some time but one suspects family commitments will halt a full time retainer evolving. Who else? I'm a huge fan of Oisin Murphy.
I tend agree with you Dex in as much as Ryan Moore has little real competition at the very top end other than Hughsie. I do feel however that Kirby and Crowley if given the right horses to ride would not be found wanting and must surely be worth a shout. The thing with these two is they have put the hours in on the all weather and the all weather really makes you more tactically aware and more reactive within a race, De souse & Fallon or Kirby and Crowley I would go for the latter. I also like the idea that Ryan Moore stays in the UK, he is clearly not short of money and the Moores seem a nice close knit family, he gets to sit on good horses with Stoutey and were I him I would stay as well. His big decision may come when Stoutey starts winding down to retire as surely will happen soonish. I also agree on Oisin Murphy, streets ahead of anyone else with the exception of Jason Hart but I hope he is not rushed into a top job in the way Spencer was as the natural ability needs to be accompanied by the psychological maturity and tactical experience that only comes through race riding each day to complete the package. I think we saw with Spencer that although ability was there he fell down on the latter two aspects of what makes a great jockey at that time. I think he got too confident which stopped him keeping things simple and simply had not ridden enough or in big races at the time of taking over the Ballydoyle role. Then again he is a lot older now and still seems none the wiser on those two things so maybe I am just talking rubbish again.
When it comes to Flat jockeys (and these people are jockeys, ladies and gentlemen, not the saddle monkey variety you encounter in the NH sphere) I’ve said for years that Ryan Moore and ‘King’ Kieren are literally miles ahead of the rest. This could be the best move that Godolphin have made in 2 decades.
Ryan Moore most definitely yes!! But Fallon was butlike with anything age catcjes up onyou I would rather have Fallon than someone like Queally but still SDS I rate very highly
How Doyle got the abdullah job is past me too! Saying that he is better than Queally but I can see why Goldophin got Fallon the like of Moore, Hughes won't leave thier posts etc.. so he is best of the rest and has been there done it got the Tshirt but once likes of Murphy, king have shed thier Claimer they will be snapped up but why not give a good Claimer claiming 3lbs could make all the difference!
Moore is the best and when you need one to go in there is no one else you would rather have on it but he gets it wrong plenty of times too, with jockeys its really which ones do you dislike the least, none are anywhere near perfect. Moore on Giovanni Boldini at Meydan is one of the worst rides I have ever seen and a bad case of poor judgement before a race, deciding to track a horse Long John who most knew had no chance of winning, he thought it was his only danger, sat out the back when the tapeta was riding fast and let that binger Toast Of New York steal the race, Spencer couldnt believe his luck that day. He also got rode to sleep by some claimer at Ascot last week on the hotpot Russian Realm, they all did to be fair. Doyle never does me a turn, beat numerous times on Pythagorean, running riots recently and gets beat on Kingman. Seems to be a good jockey when im not on. Buick another I rarely catch, his ride on The Fugue at Meydan was shocking, even though she had no chance at the trip anyway, not sure if he was told to do what he done though. I reckon he took his foot off the gas after that blinding season they had. I wonder sometimes if David Probert even has a brain. Jockeys are a necessary evil, if they aint corrupt they are brainless.
I think De Sousa has been treated atrociously in this matter. He's done nothing much wrong. It would be good if he packed it in with them and went freelance, he'd still ride plenty of winners. Unlikely though because of the stranglehold these owners have now. Just when you think Godolphin are getting better, they pull a stunt like this. One can only come to the conclusion that they are not being advised by real racing people.
Fallon has a lot to offer. He might be pushing 50, but he's still one hell of a rider. The experience garnered of what must seem like a life time in the saddle, is worth it's weight in gold. De Sousa was indeed treated badly. To learn of the Fallon deal through the media was an exercise in bad management. But then again, those sitting in high places and paying all the fees, don't always behave like saints. Fallon is obviously a short term strategy. He's in good nick and riding well. The 2000 Guineas win was proof that the holder of the money reins knows a good thing when he sees it. Still, racing is a cut throat game.
You are undoubtedly right Cyc. But Godolphin have form. I'd have thought they'd want to be seen to be sound as regards any decisions they make, after last year's catastrophe. I've never liked jocking off and this is a bad case.
SDS is an average jockey, and Godolphin are looking for a return to glory, albeit short term by going with one of the best big race jockeys around. Now J Murtagh has started training, I don't think there is a better big race jockey riding than Fallon (with Dettori and Moore close in behind) and neither of the other two would take the job. I don't like Fallon, but it makes a lot of sense for Godolphin to use him this season. Personally, it shows everything that is wrong with the sport, but I won't go into that!
