This deserves a thread of it's own

UrbanSea · 05-11-2011 11:43pm #1

I'd like to say the most sincere congratulations to Joseph O'Brien tonight as he became the youngest jockey to ever ride a Breeders' Cup winner aboard St Nicholas Abbey.

I knew this horse had it in him and I've been backing him ever since he got beaten on his come back behind Unaccompanied.

I was genuinely delighted for Aidan,and I told the whole pub to back him beforehand. Even my father was delighted as he's nearly my age. Well done Joseph,three group ones in a season isn't half bad.

TheMilkyPirate · 06-11-2011 12:58am

Joseph o brien is nearly your age???

EDIT: Just to keep to the thread i think joseph is as good as nearly anyone out there. He gets way too much stick. My father thinks the same and was nearly crying when he won and he's been following racing for well over 40 years.

ziggy · 06-11-2011 4:26am

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Aidric · 06-11-2011 10:11am

Just watched the race now. Mature ride. Congratulations to father and son.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfwiZ1Dzz8U

UrbanSea · 06-11-2011 10:30am

Me so mature.

No doubt that he wouldn't have been. That doesn't mean that he didn't deserve it,he's proved that he deserves his place there.
Ran away with the apprentice title. Yes he sat on plenty of hot pots in maidens,but gets some great rides for other trainers. He rode some of Fahy's horses who came over to Dundalk,gave Tactician a great ride to be second in the Ebor even though he looked like he'd be swallowed up. He's a great judge of pace.

tryfix · 06-11-2011 10:43am

Fair question and the answer would most likely be no, he does however ride well and horses run for him. I can't think of any mistakes he's made and would rather Coolmore used a jockey with his riding style than that of Moore.

cardwizzard · 06-11-2011 11:53am

When you think of this achievement it is hard to put into context how good it really is. For a father and son duo to train and ride a Breeders Cup winner, is class, and for them to be our own is even better.

Hard to see this ever happening again in the future. Joesph gave it a good ride, and the horse preformed like we all hoped he would. Great night for Ballydoyle. And congratulations to the O Briens.

ziggy · 06-11-2011 7:44pm

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mr.jingle · 06-11-2011 9:45pm

Absolutely fantastic ride by Joey O'Brien and wasn't it great to see Aidan show a bit of emotion when interviewed straight after the race.

Imhof Tank · 06-11-2011 9:48pm

How would you rate it against Spencer's case of mid race brain failure on Powerscourt at the BC?

Imhof Tank · 06-11-2011 9:57pm

Absolutely incredible ice cool performance from an 18 year old who was doing pony club 1day events 2 years ago - that horse was no steering job.

No point in comparing him to what other 18 year old apprentices might have done because we'll never know - sure he out rode Ryan Moore!

On the other hand M Barcelona is probably on another level again

UrbanSea · 06-11-2011 10:07pm

No point comparing his priviliged position,sure there are many Africans who could be CEO of companies if they got the priviliged positions we did to get to college.

So we can compare him to other 18 year olds.

Just cos he got on a good horse doesn't mean he'd give it a good ride. He still had to prove himself. Putting him on a horse gives an easy outlet to blame if the horse doesn't perform,so you can blame the jockey. Thankfully he didn't give us that through his good riding.

UrbanSea · 06-11-2011 10:08pm

No point comparing his priviliged position,sure there are many Africans who could be CEO of companies if they got the priviliged positions we did to get to college.

So we cant compare him to other 18 year olds.

Just cos he got on a good horse doesn't mean he'd give it a good ride. He still had to prove himself. Putting him on a horse gives an easy outlet to blame if the horse doesn't perform,so you can blame the jockey. Thankfully he didn't give us that through his good riding.

ziggy · 06-11-2011 11:23pm

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ziggy · 06-11-2011 11:34pm

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johnny_cash · 07-11-2011 12:01am

Joseph gave a good ride and sure we all know he wouldn't of got the ride but for who he is.I would have no problem with joseph getting all these top rides if he was going to remain a flat jockey.We all know he's going to be to heavy and we be a jump jockey so it just bugs me that he's taking the chance away from some other up and coming flat jockeys.

UrbanSea · 07-11-2011 2:23am

Ziggy perhaps I'm failing to give your post the due attention and care it deserves so forgive me in advance for that,but I'm still finding it difficult to come to terms with it.

Yes. There is no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't have gotten the ride had he not have been Aidan's son.

However. Once he got on the horse he still had to prove himself. No matter the circumstances,there are plenty of jockeys who well may have given the horse a poor ride,and these jockeys may well have gotten the ride on the horse by merit,even though Joseph did,but yet again,that merit may well have been from been Aidan's son.

UrbanSea · 07-11-2011 2:25am

I don't agree with this.

Just because he won't be a flat jockey for the rest of his career,you find it unfair that he is getting good rides ahead of people who will be flat jockeys for their career?

That's strange thinking I feel.

ziggy · 07-11-2011 2:54am

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NaiveMelodies · 07-11-2011 3:08am

A great achievement for any jockey, fair dues, but thats as much as it is in my opinion.
A unique event indeed, and for the O'Briens, it must be incredible on a personal level. It'll make many a pub quiz in the decades to come, thats for sure, but its not like it just fell into place like a fairytale.

I think Mike Smith pipping his ex in the Classic is a better story!!!

Imhof Tank · 07-11-2011 7:55am

Its relevant in the sense that - unlike Joseph - Spencer didnt handle the pressure when he rode Powerscourt.

Anyway, my post was in reply to your suggestion that Spencer's ride on Tarrascon was a bigger achivement, to which I say:-

- there is no comparison between riding an outsider in the Irish guineas and the 3rd fav in the $3m Breeders Cup Turf; and

- is Spencer himself not the godson of Tommy Stack and in light of that would he have been on Tarrascon if it wasnt for his connections?

the groutch · 07-11-2011 10:11am

I agree with what Johnny_Cash said. Heffernan and O'Donohue have paid their dues for years and are ten times more deserving to get the rides than Joseph who gets them just because "Daddy said". It's nepotism in it's purest form.

Imhof Tank · 07-11-2011 10:38am

Right, and of course Magnier and the boys have no say in jockey selection :pac:

UrbanSea · 07-11-2011 12:28pm

He may well have got a leg up from being his dad's son but he would never have been on the horse if he hadn't proven himself up to it.

I didn't at all like that Seamie and Colm were left at home though.
I've expressed before that I don't like Moore riding Coolmore horses ahead of them,when they'd be riding the horses every day of the week

premierstone · 07-11-2011 3:00pm

Neither Heffernan or O'Donoghue would have been riding the horse regardless.

Funny how I never hear anyone complaining when David Nicholls puts he's son Adrian on he's horses, you call it nepotism, I call it Irish begrudgery of the highest order.

Well done Adian and Joseph on a fantastic achievement.

premierstone · 07-11-2011 3:03pm

Yeah and of course Jamie has no connections in racing at all :rolleyes:

None of us would be doing anything if we werent our fathers sons tbh.

JimDeChamp · 08-11-2011 12:31am

By the way Jamie isn't Tommy's godson he's the godson of the boss...!

This deserves a thread of it's own

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