[gcy1980]

Just commenting on the hype that was surrounding Joseph O Brien. I just don't get it. I have seen a couple of comments about how he rode certain horses at Meydan. The ride he gave Await the Dawn was crazy. I don't think John Magnier will put up with him on some of the best horses in the world for too long. To think Johnny Murtagh left the yard because he envisioned less chances because of the upcoming Joseph is unreal. Go all out for Ryan Moore now or someone like William Buick! I could never understand the hype around Joseph and still can't see it. I'm not saying that Ryan Moore would have won on any of Joseph's rides tonight but what he done on Await the Dawn was suicide!!

[Nulty]

Originally Posted by gcy1980

Just commenting on the hype that was surrounding Joseph O Brien. I just don't get it. I have seen a couple of comments about how he rode certain horses at Meydan. The ride he gave Await the Dawn was crazy. I don't think John Magnier will put up with him on some of the best horses in the world for too long. To think Johnny Murtagh left the yard because he envisioned less chances because of the upcoming Joseph is unreal. Go all out for Ryan Moore now or someone like William Buick! I could never understand the hype around Joseph and still can't see it. I'm not saying that Ryan Moore would have won on any of Joseph's rides tonight but what he done on Await the Dawn was suicide!!

What are you talking about!? Your talking nonsense. Do you really think he decided to go out and do something that wasn't planned? Do you think he was given instructions that differed to what he executed? Do you think the horse would have fared any better under any other sort of ride?

Man, people are lining up to have a go at Joseph O'Brien and not one of them has a sound argument.

[RichieLawlor]

Originally Posted by Nulty

What are you talking about!? Your talking nonsense. Do you really think he decided to go out and do something that wasn't planned? Do you think he was given instructions that differed to what he executed? Do you think the horse would have fared any better under any other sort of ride?

Man, people are lining up to have a go at Joseph O'Brien and not one of them has a sound argument.

Perhaps he was told to make the running on ATD, but that little clock in his head is running a bit fast imo

[d-gal]

He is a fantastic jockey and he has proved that over the last 2 years with an abundance of winners. He usually has a great judge of pace, especially from the front. He gave so u think a perfect ride and got the rail in front tho a lot of jockeys would have been bustled out at times. That particular horse just wasn't good enough and either was Await.
He is a fantastic prospect and himself and Barzalona are up there with the best

[RichieLawlor]

Originally Posted by d-gal

He is a fantastic jockey and he has proved that over the last 2 years with an abundance of winners. He usually has a great judge of pace, especially from the front. He gave so u think a perfect ride and got the rail in front tho a lot of jockeys would have been bustled out at times. That particular horse just wasn't good enough and either was Await.
He is a fantastic prospect and himself and Barzalona are up there with the best

He doesn't compare to Barzalona, who is a proper jockey. An abundance of winners you say, my mother could win on those coolmore horses.

No perhaps I'm being unfair to the kid, but I don't think so, and if he is Ballydoyle number one at the end of this season I'll be very very surprised

[aidankkk]

He was definatly always going to make it on Await the Dawn, and there was obviously something amiss with the horse, as he went out too fast for it to be just going off too quick.. That horse has had a few problems and looks to me like they possibly surfaced again yesterday.

[UrbanSea]

Originally Posted by gcy1980

Just commenting on the hype that was surrounding Joseph O Brien. I just don't get it. I have seen a couple of comments about how he rode certain horses at Meydan. The ride he gave Await the Dawn was crazy. I don't think John Magnier will put up with him on some of the best horses in the world for too long. To think Johnny Murtagh left the yard because he envisioned less chances because of the upcoming Joseph is unreal. Go all out for Ryan Moore now or someone like William Buick! I could never understand the hype around Joseph and still can't see it. I'm not saying that Ryan Moore would have won on any of Joseph's rides tonight but what he done on Await the Dawn was suicide!!

How much had you on Await the Dawn?

[tryfix]

He's perfectly fine as a jockey, rides with confidence and has a sympathetic pair of hands on a horse. He seems to be able to settle a horse, so given that AWD flopped on his previous run, it's more likely that the horse is just not right and no one could have got much more out of it.

Joseph obviously wouldn't be getting the rides that he is getting if he wasn't who he is. He's not within an asses roar of the likes of Johnny Murtagh, as a second string jockey he'd be just fine.

[only1stevo]

How can you criticise this lad?

Are Aidan O'Briens horses always supposed to win or am I missing something?

He's improved massively, theres no way Magnier et al would have him on board the good 'uns if he wasn't good enough. Naturally he's got to where he is down to his blood, but if people actually think he got the leg up on SYT last night purely down to who he is, they are clueless.
He does it week in week out in Dundalk on pigs, when his mount is in with a chance, he's one of the strongest finishers on a horse I've seen. His rides on Mutasareb and Copper Dock are just recent examples of outstanding riding.

[gcy1980]

I didn't actually have him backed and am not saying he is a terrible jockey either. He will be a good jockey, that's it. He will never be in the league of a Frankie Dettori or Kieran Fallon. There is talk about how his weight issues will see him move to national hunt racing and this will happen sooner rather then later. Magnier gives Aidan choice over which jockeys to use and only gets involved if he feels the need to. Remember Mick Kinane. He made couple of mistakes over a year or two on some horses and suddenly was gone. Jamie Spencer!! Kieran Fallon for off course problems. They will give him a chance; Magnier will sit back an observe. But there is a massive difference between "making the running" on a horse and burning out a horse after half a mile! Shocking ride!!

[Nulty]

You think he burned Await The Dawn out in that race do you?

Cityscape was two lenghts off him the whole way round and went and won by over 4 lengths. If you think he went to fast then your just simply wrong. The horse wasn't right and if it was he would have finished pretty close.

He set a solid gallop - nothing more nothing less. He pushed the horse to the lead and let him roll along out there. O'Brien always wants a solid gallop in his races and thats what he got. The horse underperformed - not the jockey.

[Morgans]

Originally Posted by gcy1980

He will never be in the league of a Frankie Dettori or Kieran Fallon.

I hate this. Imagining hype. Has anyone ever said that he would be in the same league of Frankie Dettori or Kieran Fallon? Is there any source you could point to?

The strange thing is Fallon took a long long time to get to the top - often due to his own limitations (off the track) - and for a long time (maybe into his mid 20s) he never looked like he would become the jockey that he finally did. Same with Murtagh in fact, who needed a serious talking to before realising his talent.

At their ages, O'Brien has done more. That is not to say that he is nearly as good as Fallon/Murtagh now. However, with critics pretending that every serious racing fan is saying how brilliant Joseph O'Brien is the lad will never have a chance. Everytime he screws up it will be said that Fallon or Dettori would never make that mistake - despite Bosra Sham, Swain etc. Just leave the lad ride, you know before you bet on the horse who is riding and judge him by your own view, not by what others say, or what you are imaging others are saying.

He is an ok jockey, doesnt let down the side nearly as much as you would think, and he is young. learning, and will probably end up a very good trainer.

[UrbanSea]

Await the Dawn was surely going to have to set a good gallop. I was surprised he was in the race, he is screaming out for longer to me. He wouldn't have had the turn of foot had he sat in I'd imagine, he had to make it a test of stamina too.

[mickey1979]

My bit to this is yesterday he did feck all wrong. But nothing special so far. I presume that he is a worker and he will improve. I feel he is prob getting far more chances that he deserves at this stage in his career. But either way he has not done a whole lot wrong he will make mistakes but anyone 19 will. If he has his dad's attitude of constant improvement there is no reason why he cannot be at the very top of his sport sooner rather than later. Of course there is over the top hype but so far he has handled that well and I would have no qualms backing him on a horse.

[jjll]

aidan would not risk his horses with just anyone he knows a good jockey and he would be under pressure to get the horses black type so really would he put up his son if he didnt think he was not good enough