So the big question who is it going to be? From the looks they have been trying out a whole load of riders for it! Although I do like him surely Richie Mclernon won't get the number one job . The rider needs to be experienced in England and Ireland and been there done it got the the t-shirt and to live up to and the comparisons that will come with what AP has done will be enough pressure as it is which is why i don't think they will go for a younger rider like Jonathan Heskin has got over the Irish sea and Bryan Cooper too. There is a case for mark Walsh but is he really the name , the experience that im JP will want on his horses come say half past one on the first day of cheltenham plus that fact when does he ever come over to England so lacks experience in English courses , yes you could argue he is number one over in Ireland but different story being number for the owner. Now.there was talk yday of Barry getting the job he imo would be the best for it and I rate him as I'm sure everyone else does as a fantastic jockey and would have him as my first pick on my horses but that would mean leaving Chuckle towers then that throws up a new question of who would take that job should Barry leave. But would he really be available to go leaving the likes Sprinter , Simonsig (if we ever see him again that's of course) I would like to see some one like Feihly or Richard Johnson should Barry not have the job.
I don't expect this to happen but I'd love to see a top job like this go to an up and coming young jockey, someone like Brendan Powell Jr. I think he will go on to become one of the best around, snap him up early. I also like Aidan Coleman, although he can't really be classed as a "youngster" anymore. He's done very well with Venetia Williams and I think these guys deserve a big chance and for some faith to be shown in some of the young jockeys in the game, the potential is there to start and build a partnership that could last 10-20 years with these young jockeys.
Impossible position to fill, I wonder if JP will go with the stable jockeys of the trainers he uses in the UK, with Jonjo getting someone else in to ride most of his horses, someone like Costello who has ridden quite a few for the yard. Then continue to use Walsh in Ireland. I can't see Barry G wanting to get off Hendo's horses and ride a lot more at 'gaff' tracks and I wouldn't want someone like Coleman or Scudamore to get the job as it could easily ruin them (cough Sam Thomas cough). Interesting times.
I think Mark Walsh will get the pick in Ireland and rightly so. To use a quote that will be over used during the festival previews, he's done nothing wrong. In GB JP has a lot of very ordinary horses. I can't therefore see it being a very attractive job for the top guys. What odds Richie Mclernon? I've long felt this fella has one of the worst jobs in racing. It appears to me that his primary role for the last number of years is to get astride very average Jackdaws horses and get them handicapped to a level where AP can then go out and be competitive on them - AP's fluffer if you like. He has had strike rate of around 1 in 20 over the last few years. He could just be an average jockey but he's done ok when he's snagged a decent one, John's Spirit and Holywell. Surely he deserves a chance for no other reason than he seems quite happy travelling the length and breadth of the country to ride average horses in green and gold.
I think Nass is close to the mark here. Richie McLernon to ride all the Jackdaws horses with maybe an appointment of a senior jockey in Ireland. After all the yards he uses in the UK all have pretty tidy stable jockeys, Geraghty at Henderson, Fehily at Longsdon etc. I think he employed McCoy as he was outstanding and those boots are too big to fill so I think he will be doing a radical rethink of how he operates. I can see McCoy becoming his racing manager.
I'd like to see Tom O'Brien get the job but can't see him even being in the top 25 in the running for it!
Geraghty 1/6 to get the job and Paul Towend is second fav at 8's. One that did make me laugh is Joseph Obrien is 66's So if Geraghty does get the job who will take over the Henderson role? But with Geraghty looking likely to move does this mean that he thinks the likes of Sprinter and Simonsig arnt the same horses??
It would be a big decision for Geraghty if he were offered the job. I don't think the possible demise of Simonsig and Sprinter Sacre would affect his decision. After all, it's still a plum retainer with Henderson, and Geraghty strikes me as 'the loyal type' The McManus role could doubtless involve even more travelling but, in the final analysis, it could come down to loyalty versus cash- if McManus wants him, money would be no object. The problem is that, if Barry doesn't want/get the job, then who's good enough to fill McCoy's boots? Despite being in his mid thirties, I never really understood why Davy Russell lost his job with O'Leary. Worth a squeak at big odds?
It will be Geraghty. The J.P. position comes with one of the most rarest and lucrative add-ons in racing a retainer and a bloomin’ big retainer at that. Big race wins are nice and lovely but I tell you what even more so is a great huge fat guaranteed cheque every month no matter what the result. He’s never received a penny in regards of a retainer from Mr Henderson and this fact will swing it J.P.’s way. You also have to add in the fact that just under a year ago many of the owners at Mr Henderson’s tried replacing Geraghty on their horses with ‘little’ Sammy Twiston-Davies. That hardly inspires any loyalty from him to remain at Seven Barrows. As I said during the summer this move was the reason why Mr Nicholls appointed ‘little’ Sammy to head off this advance. Although many of these owners also had horses with him. Geraghty is in a lovely position and McManus will obviously want him way in advance of the other options who are rather thin on the ground to be honest. He can certain use this to negotiate a whopping retainer. And good luck to him! As for Richie McLernon. Cor blimey quite literally the worst saddle monkey I have seen riding for many a while. Just watch his ride on John’s Spirit in the 2014 ‘Paddy Power Gold Cup’ if you think otherwise. Resembled a drunkard as he was all over the place in the saddle whilst beating the horse with totally unnecessary force.
Barney, I didn't realise Geraghty had no retainer with Henderson, and I find it amazing that some owners wanted Twiston-Davies. I'm no expert on jockeys, but I don't think he's Barry's class. In fact, Geraghty is very strong in a finish, and I don't think there's any better in novice chases (presenting them at a fence)- and I'd include McCoy and Walsh in that statement.
Nope he’s never had a retainer. What has always happened (just like it did with Fitzgerald previously) was that at the end of every NH campaign the 2 parties would do no more than shake hands on a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that Geraghty would ride for Mr Henderson for the forthcoming season. Geraghty, of course, had nothing to fear as there is no bigger gentleman in sport than Mr Henderson. The ‘agreement’ has always been a bit flexible as well in that it hasn’t been 100% binding and that both have at times, although quite rarely, done there own thing. The respective ones that spring to mind are Geraghty re Big Zeb and Mr Henderson opting for Nico de Boinville on Whisper at Cheltenham last year (because of his claim). Retainers are very, very rare in racing. A lot of people think that most stable jockeys are paid retainers when in fact they ain’t. Another very high profile chap never paid a penny was the Ruby boy by Mr Nicholls. The ‘little’ Sammy thing was never Mr Henderson driven and was solely led by the relevant owners. I have no doubt that the great man would prefer Geraghty every time just like he undoubtedly would prefer the same man on all the McManus horses (and I’m talking in the past not the future). Mr Henderson is though, I’m sure, 100% happy with the younger Mr Waley-Cohen riding the older Mr Waley-Cohen’s horses based in his barn.
I'd be surprised if Geraghty took it. I'm sure the dough would help but the reality is that for every decent horse carrying the green and gold there are 10 moderate ones. Would he really give up the pick of the forum's favourite gin guzzlers yard? Also doesn't he have first pick of the Munir horses currently too? He's not short of a bob or too is he? I wasn't suggesting Mclernon was the best jockey by the way but merely that he appears to have the constitution for travelling the country riding bad horses in poor races.
