What actually happened Jeff is that the horse has been watching Jamie on channel four all week and realised that if she allowed him to dictate she would have no chance, so she took off on her own and won. Were it left to him she knew she would have been made to switch sides twice, been run up the backsides of nine other horses and then pulled out in the last 30 yards. Joking aside she was seriously impressive, I would have liked to see more use made of Joyuese as she showed in her last race she was only opening up in the last furlong and so did not need holding up in a race that was always going to be hard to win. This said the winner was not getting beat by anything today.
Was Joyeuse ridden as if she was Frankel but settleable (if that's a word). Anyway Marengo has to give 3lb to this field so who's going to show he doesn't quite stay 12f. I'll go with Mutashaded if I was there.
Some very questionable rides this week Bustino, it's the biggest meeting in the flat calendar and some rides have been as if they were going to get three chances. Tom Q's ride was as if she was being taught how to settle and race behind horses and how to respond when asked to going through gaps. This is a perfect education if running in a average race at Sandown. That was Royal Ascot, today was the day and he meant she was indeed going to have to be Frankel. Two things to remember however, he isn't a great Jockey and quite limited in ability (he almost succeeded in getting Frankel beat a couple of years back) and also in fairness that winner would likely have won wherever the opposition were put.
I agree that it looked like Tom was trying to teach her to race, coming between horses, and she was too far back in the field to have a chance to get to the winner. Connections seem happy with the run though, and I've no doubt she will prove to be a very smart filly.
Mutashaded and Tha'ir both e/w for me. Although the fav at even money could look like a hell of a missed opportunity in a few minutes time, despite all the negatives (weight, trip, hard race at Epsom).
A charming lad though. I thought it interesting that someone brought up the fact that Cecil could not abide jockeys who were beaten on horses because they held them up to get the trip. That one never works. Ask Joe O'Brien
Considering Henry Cecil's had Steve Cauthen, Pat Eddery and Kieran Fallon riding for him in his glory days and theirs, I doubt he would have shown such loyalty to Tom Queally if he felt he was of "quite limited ability".
I agree Bustino, to lose having held the horse up to get a trip is ludicrous, ride it likes it gets the trip and find out it does not. Race riding is complete common sense and you have to accept that at times you will have bad luck and the best horse will not win which is fine and must be accepted. What is not acceptable however is when the Jockey out thinks himself and takes the horses chance away because of a disregard of common sense. With regard the race in question Tom took a pull and settled her at the back, the common sense line on this is that this is a top quality race and they are not all likely to fold, and when one or two do not off of simply a normal gallop you have ended up giving them a huge head start.
The punter who had £100,000 on Battle Of Marengo was misguided, he finished 4th in what was a sub standard Derby IMO. Think Ryan Moore will end up as leading jockey at Royal Ascot.
Well I questioned the ability of BOM to stay 12f at Epsom and I very reluctantly picked it today as I couldn't see what would beat it. What a twat. Totally convinced that he is not a G1 12f horse. I recall someone here being convinced that Hillstar was the one to be on. Well done whoever that was. PS. or G2 in fact. PPS I didn't think Hillstar was a 12f horse either.
If Battle of Marengo had stayed 12f he'd have won the Derby. That punter was certainly misguided. Don't know about the Derby form yet I don't think.
Half this Coronation field shouldn't be running. There will be a pile of hard luck stories. I'll stick with Pavlosk
Shout George. I'd be interested to know why the extra distance was guaranteed to suit as I got that completely wrong.
Is BOM not just a bit ungenuine? He looked more like he was idling after kicking rather than tiring to me. Pieces on too and nothing to race with. I'd like to see him ridden patiently before deciding he is a non stayer.
