Joseph O'Brien has retired from race-riding. Here conversation with Mike Cattermole today: http://www.attheraces.com/home?ref=splash The interview video clip is down there somewhere!
Reports coming in that a previously undiscovered Pyramid, close to Giza, has been uncovered by archaeologists. Apparently some of the hieroglyphics on the entrance portal have been deciphered, and seem to point to Joseph O'Brien retiring from the saddle to concentrate on training. Sorry Swanny
A gallon of Guinness at O'Grady's followed by a lamb vinadloo with half rice, half chips at the local tandoori.
So you should be, that's the last ****ing article I do (and yes, I promise). Must have been too occupied listening to too many political crackpots of late? P.S. Half rice and half chips, that is heresy. Which reminds me, we're off to our Indian tomorrow as guests of my wife's old boss and his wife who are over from Florida. They love our Indian restaurant. My friend the owner, a real gentleman, originally from New Delhi, would have an attack of the vapours if anyone asked for half chips. Jayzus!
He is a very fortunate man, not that this is anything to hold against him. He got provided the best job in Ireland, possibly Europe, in stable jockey at Ballydoyle, a post that it would have been inconceivable for anyone to be given with the small amount of experience he had, a post which must have made him an incredibly wealthy man in a very short time. He will now most likely find himself in his first season training being sent a quality of horse that many very established trainers could only dream of. I hope he proves himself in the training ranks as in my opinion he never did within the riding ranks. Don't get me wrong Joseph was a decent enough jockey and there were a lot worse getting rides, but I never saw anything that made me feel he would have got the job were it not family, I never saw anything that would suggest to me that were he a freelance jockey based in Newmarket that Ballydoyle would have come knocking for him. Ballydoyle had always attempted to use the best, M. Kinane, K.Fallon, J.Murtagh and R. Moore and Joseph was not in that elite grouping, but he still got the job and kept it. Less said about the Spencer period the better by the way. On the up side as a person he always came across respectful and decent so the very best of luck to him in his new pursuit.
Upon the news about O'Briens retirement, Air Force Blue was shortened to 1/4 fav for the 2000 Guineas (from 11/10). Good luck to the kid
Sorry Swanny , didn't mean to poke fun. I first heard the rumour on these pages a year or two ago but it took a long time to actually come to fruition.
That's OK, Princess, no offence was ever taken. You know, with Joseph's absolute limít on riding weight it was pretty obvious he couldn't go on much longer, I should have realised that. I wish him luck as a trainer; he's certainly born to it! Cyc, you rascal, please remember you're 9-hours ahead of CET, so, of course I'm having trouble keeping up with you Wallabies on time....................
Having quit the saddle and taken up working for the TV, it might have been expected that Tony McCoy would go native. So he has a nice little sideline advertising for the bookies, which is fair enough as plenty of other great sports stars have cashed in on their fame and continue to do so. But clearly his knighthood has made him think that he has to be fawningly complimentary about everyone still working in the game. Perhaps he has just had one too many whilst at Cheltenham this week. After the Triumph Hurdle, he referred to National Hunt’s new training recruit Joseph O’Brien as a “great jockey”. Really AP? Just when did he become anything more than average? He got a job riding the best bloodstock Coolmore could breed purely through nepotism and most people would struggle to remember any great ride that would not have won for most other decent jockeys. He was such a great jockey that every trainer in Britain and Ireland was constantly harassing his agent to book his services for their charges. If he turns out to be a ‘great’ trainer, here is hoping that he does so entirely through his own efforts and not by phoning dad any time things are not going well; and that he gets horses in the yard on merit rather than JP McManus buying flat cast-offs and stabling them with him.
Personally I don't buy into knighthood bullsh!t-some prIck on a computer going 'ah we will give it to him'
