RYAN MOORE is set to take a significantly increased role at Ballydoyle riding for Aidan O'Brien after the trainer's son and stable jockey Joseph was unable to get to the correct riding weight for the start of Ireland's season. Speculation had been mounting all day that Moore would be named as number one jockey to the world famous stable after he was booked to ride four of the trainer's runners at the Curragh on Sunday. In a surprise move O'Brien junior will divert to Limerick's jumps cards on which he will have a first ride over hurdles after he said he was "a little heavy". The two-time champion jockey in Ireland insisted he would soon be back riding on the Flat once his weight stabilises. Moore, who rode Ruler Of The World to win the 2013 Investec Derby for O'Brien, rides the first string horses for the trainer on Sunday, while O'Brien junior takes the mount on Egyptian Warrior for his father in Limerick's Family Fun Day Rated Novice Hurdle. But O'Brien will not have too much time to reflect on his first-ever jumps ride as, once his JP McManus-owned mount has run he will be quickly on his way to the Curragh where he will be an integral part of a post-race schooling session as Qipco 2,000 Guineas favourite Gleneagles, trained by his father, will be put through his paces. "I'm just a little heavy at the minute but I'll be back riding on the Flat very soon," O'Brien told the Racing Post. "I'll be heading straight to the Curragh after Limerick for the gallops." O'Brien had four rides on the same Curragh card last year and he got down to as low as 9st 5lb for two of them. Twelve months on and Moore - fresh off the plane from Dubai after a busy book of World Cup night rides - will fill his shoes at the Curragh, with the British-based rider coming in for four rides including Easter (8st 9lb) in the Group 3 Park Express Stakes. In an interview in the Racing Post on Tuesday, O'Brien admitted he was heavier now than he was at this stage last year and did not dismiss the idea of riding over jumps. He said: "I'm probably a fraction heavier than I have been, I'm hanging in there and we'll see what happens over the next while. It should be stabilising now and we'll take it as it comes. "It's always been the way with me - I can't ride forever but for as long as I can and I've approached every year like that. I don't think I can look to the long term." He added: "I will definitely ride over jumps too, but whether I see myself as a jump jockey or not is another question." The 21-year-old applied to the Turf Club and received his jumps licence in March 2013 with a view to riding in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. Looking forward to O'Brien's first jumps ride, Frank Berry, JP McManus's racing manager, said yesterday: "He has loads of experience and I wouldn't say it will be any problem to him. "We weren't completely sure the horse was going to run earlier in the week so I suppose I only knew for sure today that Joseph was going to ride him. He's obviously a very talented rider and it should come naturally to him."
If he does go down the jumps route be interesting to see which trainers will employ him given 'daddys' connections
I think Joseph has given a lot of the Coolmore horses very good rides in his time in the no1 saddle but equally, he's ridden his fair share of poor ones as well. Ryan Moore is different gravy though and it's only a positive that he's now seemingly taken over the top spot.
I disagree Bob. He wins on horses that are more than entitled to win, in small field races, that don't really require to much jockey ship. Any half capable jockey would be able to steer home most of those steering jobs. And even in those races, hes been known to make glaring errors. His ride on Australia in the Irish Champion last year was priceless, panicking that Mukhadram was gonna slip the field and then getting caught late on for going to early. Costing Gleneagles the race in France, for cutting across others was also a big error not long after. He may well be AOBs son, but they aren't AOBs horses, he just trains them. So if I were the owners I'd be insisting that Ryan Moore rides all the time. Coolmoore is a multi million pound empire, and defeats like that of Australia's don't just cost them prize money, they damage the value of the horse as a stallion. Season in season out by allowing JOB to be the number 1 rider it is costing the operation millions. As he's knowhere near the level of Ryan Moore
All jocks make mistakes, even the best of them. Junior might have brought Australia undone, but a man the UK count as the best going around, put in a howler in the 2012 Melbourne Cup. His ride on the favourite Mount Athos was almost enough to see him left hanging from the grandstand rafters.
Harsh, and you've already forgotten last year's Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup? Typical Aussie! Happy Palm Sunday!
A great rider Swanny. Just pointing out that nobody is perfect. Just a thought though, those two horses were a cut above the rest in those races. I figure you and I could have got home on Australia and Protectionist.
I'm not saying Moore is a faultless rider, but JOB is far more likely as has been proven to make errors. Going by JOBs track record would you really want to rely on him in tough races to ride like the Arc, Melbourne Cup or French Derby. When there are a lot of runners going round bends. I've seen a few shockers from JOB already in the Arc and French Derby. He just doesn't know how to ride in big fields
You're quite right, Cyc, even Moore couldn't do a damn thing with the Japanese filly Harp Star in yesterday's Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. Guess he must have realised that the pace was slow** (slower than average by 0.21 seconds in the end), but there was damn all he could do about it as his mount didn't want to know IMHO? Must say however, a fine ride by Soumillon on that great big filly Dolniya in that race; what a racing stride she has. Whereas you might well have won on those two you mentioned, I'm afraid both would have bucked me off in the paddock, long before the start. These fine racehorses would not have tolerated a total novice like me in the saddle, plus the small question of extra weight! **(Note the fast times of Brown Panther (fast by 4.16 seconds), and Solow (fast by 0.24 seconds), in earlier races on the turf at this meeting yesterday).
Riding aside for one minute surely Josephs health is of concern just over 9 st and over 6ft tall - cant be good for him!
Gotta say Swanny, I was really happy to see Brown Panther win, he's a horse anyone would love to have in their stable. Another with a great heart is Sole Power. If anyone deserved a win in the desert, it is him. He's as honest as the day is long. Richard Hughes must have been really pleased with the win as well. Health wise, he's had a bad trot of late hasn't he?
Oh by the way gents, according to the Longines World's Best Jockey Awards, Junior was the third best rider in the world last year. Make of that what you will.
Is Moore getting to the same position Piggott got to in 1966? Then Murless said 'enough was enough' after Piggott turned down his retained ride in the Oaks and sat on one of O'Briens instead. The fallout of all this was the transfer in of George Moore as Piggott's replacement. Piggott missed 3 classic wins in '67, plus an Eclipse and KG win.. Up to now Moore riding for O'Brien has caused Stoute few problems. But if Gleneagles is the business isn't there the danger of Moore jumping ship to be on him and passing over one of Stoute's likely 2000G runners? Of course these may turn out to be duds but one day Moore will choose and Stoute may have to decide.
Moore is such a good jockey, that I don't see Sir Micheal Stoute kicking his toys out the pram if Moore does reject one of his rides. At the end of the day having him ride some of your horses is better than riding none. I don't see Moore ever rejecting a first string ride for AOB, even if Stoutes horse is better. Because he knows how important it could be to his career to get the number 1 position there. Stoute probably realises by now that he doesn't have the fire power these days to keep the best jockey around
Joseph may or may not be a good rider to some but a huge reason behind the negative opinions are that O'Briens runners are often highly touted as the next best thing since sliced bread and the majority of punters back a lot of his runners at shorter prices than they should be where Joseph rides them and expect them to win on the bridle. Unfortunately racing is never quite as straight forward as that and as a result a lot of false favourites get turned over with him on board. Sure, he has made a horlicks of some rides but what jockey hasn't? Even I've been one of the many caught by a bad ride and I'm certain it will happen again whether Joseph is riding or Ryan Moore or whoever, I have to accept it and let it go, that's racing. It's not an exact science. I don't think he is world class nor do I think he is rubbish, he is a capable jockey who has the burden of riding some highly regarded types worth millions of euros, where millions of eyes are scrutinising his every move waiting to hit an easy target with any slip. Will Aidan O'Brien double his tally of winners the year Ryan Moore comes fully on board?...I'd very much doubt it.
Paddy Powers 'attempt' at an April Fool today was to tweet that Joseph O'Brien was to take over as JP's retained rider.. Must have caught out someone, somewhere that one...Deary me!
