Woss happened to all the great jockeys?

Question

When I was younger (in the 1980s) I used to follow Pat Eddery all the time and I ain't never seen him ride a bad race. All I used to do was pick out the horses Pat was riding in the racecard, whittle it down to his best 2 or 3 rides and I was guaranteed a winner or two.
Willie Carson may not have been the most stylish of jocks but he was effective in a finish while the great Steve Cauthen was born with a clock in his head.
Throw in the likes of Ray Cochrane, Michael Roberts, Mick Kinane, Brian Rouse, Brent Thomson, Bruce Raymond, Walter Swinburn and John Reid - there were some fantastic jockeys around back then.

Who have we got today:
Jamie Spencer? Don't make me larf, he's about as good a jockey as his wife is at TV presenting!
Frankie? He's almost in semi-retirement these days
Fallon? Pressed the self-destruct button too many times
Ryan Moore? He's ridden more than just one or two badly judged races this season
Richard Hills? Too inconsistent

The only decent jockey riding at the moment is Saint Johnny, keeps it nice and simple.

Wot do you fink?

Answer 1

Good question! I guess it's the same throughout sport - seems the best were always in the past (but does time blot out the bloopers?).



Obviously way up there at the moment has to be Johnny Murtagh - but a jock is always only as good as the rides he gets (generally speaking) and this year it seems he almost only has to sit on the horses to get 'em home in front! Sickening or what!



Jamie Spencer - quite agree with your comments about that one! (and his wife too)

Fallon - inspired rider, somewhat misguided in his personal affairs, shall we say

Ryan Moore - for me the jury's out on him and he needs to sharpen up his public relations skills big time really

Seb - I have a lot of time for him so he'd be up there, for me

Daryl Holland - never understood why he's not hit the big time - perhaps down to his rides?

The Hills brothers - can't complain about them really.

Last but NOT least our Frankie - yes, he does seem to be cruising into retirement, sadly. I think he feels he's done it all now, and for sure, isn't hungry enough these days. To his credit he still talks the party line over the woes of Godolphin, but I wonder how he really feels about trailing in last so often these days. Surely he still wants to win!

Regardless, it's going to be a truly sad day when he finally hangs up his boots. Wonder if he'll go training?

Answer 2

Oh please, you're all wrong. Lester Piggott was the greatest jockey ever: 4,493 wins, including 9 Epsom Derbys He rode is first winner aged 12 in 1948 and did not totally retire until 1995! Don't forget he won the Breeders' Cup Mile in 1990, just 10 DAYS after coming out of retirement. His style was copied the world over adn he was Champion Jockey 11 times. He would have won more if he had not decided to be more selective about his rides. He may not have won the most races as a jockey, but surely quality over quantity here! The fact that he rode all over the world - successfully should stand him in better stead than others. The man is a legend and should be knighted.

Answer 3

Sir Alan......What about my 'favourite' jockey

Richard Hughes....if he's not sitting on his favourite armchair ride with a compass he'll never find his way through.. He gave Honolulu the worst ride I have ever seen in the Goodwood Cup won by Yeats, held him up the back until the last 5 furlongs he had no chance, what possessed Aidan O'Brien to give him the ride, bet he won't do it again.



Lester was the Maestro no doubt and all the jockeys that you mentioned and those before them, Gordon Richards and the ill fated Fred Archer (before our time Sir Alan).



But jockeys still made mistakes back in the 80's didn't they, remember Greville Starkey on Dancing Brave in the 1986 Derby won by Sharastani, shame Pat Eddery wasn't on him that day, you only get one shot at the Derby and Starkey blew it big time.



Totally agree with you re: Jamie Spencer..Frank could do a better job (and Betty could commentate).



Johnny Murtagh is definitely the best jockey riding at the moment a true professional. I personally like Seb Saunders, Jimmy Fortune, Robert Havlin and George Baker, I think they should be given more of the top rides offered to the likes o.f Jamie Spencer and Richard Hughes...Good question Sir Alan the longest I have seen you post....award yourself an executive nap....Jacqui x

Answer 4

Great question

Will most are retired or some R,I P ,, The Shoe etc

I remember the 70"and 80 's very well

Many on here are so in tuned with the Now they do not know about the greats Jockeys back then and or the Horse's



Will I do know that some are training or have family that are and they stay at the track to help with the training and the horse's



The rest I do not know,,But when you have found out more let me know

Many work for Farms as trainers , ..some have opened schools for Jockeys . Etc,,

Answer 5

I take it from the jockeys mentioned you're talking about the flat. Ryan Moore has one thing on his mind and that's winning. Seb Saunders although out for the rest of the season is way up there. Now though we are beginning to see some real talent coming through. The list now includes female jock's too. So here are my favourites, not in any order. S Drowne, D Probert,H Turner,F Tyliki, K Milczarek C Gannon, T Queally, E Ahern and S Carson. I could name a few moore but I'm sure you already know them, but one who stands head and shoulders above the rest has to be Johny Murtagh. So we do agree on one thing after all.

Answer 6

I remember the days of Lester Piggot and Pat Eddery as well. Walter Swinburn was one of my favourite jockeys.



Johnny Murtagh is the greatest jockey racing today. Coolwood Stud and Aiden O'Brien are on the crest of a wave, hard to see anyone matching them. Watching Johnny ride Yeats is a sight to behold. Apologies for cutting and pasting off Google but his recent success is too great to type :-



His haul includes five Irish Oaks and three Yorkshire Oaks, four Ascot Gold Cups and two Tattersalls Gold Cups, three Epsom Derbys and two Irish Derbys, three King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, two English and two Irish 2000 Guineas, an English and an Irish Champions' Stakes and wins in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Breeders' Cup Turf and Breeders' Cup Mile and Hong Kong Vase.

Answer 7

i like monroe and fortunen michael hills murtagh rides the best horses fallon won plenty of races obrien horses jockeys like darryl holland franny norton quinn callan hanaghan ride a lot of donkeys but still kick home winners what about michael kinane a great jockey they all have there days

Answer 8

Bruce Raymond - how did he get in there? He was scarcely in the top 20 when he was riding let alone mentioning him across generations. I should certainly have thought twice about having a bet with him up. No mention of Charlie Smirke? "What did I Tul yar?"

Answer 9

i agree with the spencer thing, frankie is just a tv personality now, and fallon didnt know how easy he had it. getting to ride the best of the best and throws it away.

johnny deserves all those quality horses, i hope o brien dosent take back fallon next year.



youre only as good as the horse youre on.

Answer 10

For the biographies of over 1,300 British jockeys, go to Jockeypedia (that's all you need to put into the address bar). It will tell you exactly what's happened to all the great jockeys.

Answer 11

I think it's the same in most sports, most great characters have dissapeared, alex higgins, paul gascoigne, james hunt and the jockeys you mention, I think it's just the way it is now.

Answer 12

Oi! You did`nt mention the best there has ever been. The longfellow.

Answer 13

new one on the west coast to watch and wager on is joe talamo

Answer 14

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