Johnny Murtagh sacked

BQQ

Aga Khan has terminated his contract as retained rider in Ireland. :eek:

http://eircomsports.eircom.net/News/murtagh-parts-company-with-aga-khan.aspx

What do you think about this?

JessePinkman

Great Jockey,But i guess a change is no harm for him or the stable

BQQ

Whatever about the Aga, it's not great for Johnny.
Most of his prize money comes from those horses. Slim pickings for him in Ireland now. He might have to go back over the water.

Wonder what the row was about.



Edit:

looks like this might have something to do with it.

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news/article/465/8033650/murtagh-axed-by-aga-khan

He does, however, have a link with another increasingly influential owner in Irish racing in Andrew Tinkler, who fairly recently moved the majority of his string to Tommy Carmody.

Carmody rents stables at the Curragh owned by Murtagh and he has ridden winners for the operation.

Last weekend, Carmody's Ursa Major also inflicted a notable defeat upon the Aga Khan's Hartani in the Gain Horse Feeds Irish St Leger Trial Stakes.

smartaform

BQQ, I think you are right on the money with that related article.

Carmody owns his stables on the Curragh and according to many on the track itself had finished with horses altogether. He has tried unsuccessfully to sell up the property over the last 5 years. Then magically he gets Tinklers horses from the UK???
One trainers website/blog, mentioned back in January that Murtagh was the one pulling the strings and Carmody was just a face to the Tinkler operation..

Harry Angstrom

Looks like the Aga is throwing his toys out of the pram again, just as he did when Aliysa was disqualified from the 1989 Oaks. It would be great to see Johnny go back to Ballydoyle but that's obviously never going to happen. He's one of the best in the business. He deserves a top job.

UrbanFret

Pathetic really. Childish from an owner who should know better.

Morgans

I take just about 100% the opposite viewpoint.

There are few better jobs for a jockey than riding for Aga Khan. The least that the owner should expect is that the jockey's mind would be on the job. Not setting up/shadow running a training operation as well. Aga Khan's jockey should not have a vested interest in beating him. If Murtagh cant wait for a few years, he is making his own bed.

Pinesky

Agree with you fully Morgans

Overthelast

The actions of HRH AK make total sense to me. Fair enough if his retained jockey wants to get involved in the training side of the game (which is a natural career move), but do so without triggering such an obvious conflict of interest. Perhaps JM, when he reflects upon this episode, will look back with some regret that he didn't handle things a little more tactfully.

faoile@n

Overthelast wrote: »

The actions of HRH AK make total sense to me. Fair enough if his retained jockey wants to get involved in the training side of the game (which is a natural career move), but do so without triggering such an obvious conflict of interest. Perhaps JM, when he reflects upon this episode, will look back with some regret that he didn't handle things a little more tactfully.

Particularly as the Aga Khan will have some nicely bred Sea The Stars foals next year too.

Bit of a foolish move from Murtagh without clearing it with his employer.

Frankie Lee

In fairness it should have happened at the start of the season. I wonder could Shane Foley or Ben Curtis get the job now, it would be good to see some young jockeys get top jobs.

aidan24326

Where to now for Murtagh? He's burned his bridges with Ballydoyle and Aga Khan (Oxx), while the Weld and Bolger jobs are sewn up. Realistically they're the only jobs worth having in Ireland for a top jockey.

Could he go back to England? He rides a fair bit for the likes of William Haggas and Jeremy Noseda, and I'm sure either would be happy to have him available on a day-to-day basis. He has a long-standing association with James Fanshawe aswell. There's a few top owners and trainers in England who will surely be casting an interested eye at this.

Frankie Lee

It would be a bit awkward training horses on the Curragh and working in England though.

dave3004

Lordan is with Stack and Wachman or just Stack? Maybe he could get involved with Wachman

the groutch

he won't go near Wachman because of his association with Ballydoyle.

Morgans

Im a little surprised at how much pulling power the forum thinks Murtagh has?

I think freelance and then retirement in a couple of years time is a long odds on shot.

Frankie Lee

dave3004 wrote: »

Lordan is with Stack and Wachman or just Stack? Maybe he could get involved with Wachman

But Lordan is a better jockey than him at this stage of is career.

Pinesky

Johnny would have to train Group winners with the regularity of Ao'B to match the cash he was getting as a jockey. Given the fall out with the Aga he's unlikely to attract the type of owners with the required firepower. His reputed connections with Babs & Barney will place him in the category of a punting yard

Dalken

Obvious conflict of interest, but Johnny is a great rider and a really nice guy, met him a couple of times and he seemed sound, unlike a top jump jock I cud mention. Pity to see such a great partnership end too. Johnny will still rack up classics for someone, he's still in the prime of his career and guinely loves what he does, all the best to him.

aidan24326

Morgans wrote: »

Im a little surprised at how much pulling power the forum thinks Murtagh has?

I think freelance and then retirement in a couple of years time is a long odds on shot.

You don't realise why Murtagh has pulling power?

He's unquestionably one of the best flat racing jockeys in the business and is still the go-to guy when there's a spare ride going in a big race. I'd say he has a few years left in him yet. There still isn't many jockeys better than Murtagh in a finish and his record in the top Group 1 races speaks for itself.

Morgans

We willl see. Id take a bet that he will never win a classic again.

aidan24326

Morgans wrote: »

We willl see. Id take a bet that he will never win a classic again.

You must know something the rest of us don't know so. Is he thinking of packing in the day-to-day jockeying and going into the training game? Because if he stays riding full time he will win big races again. He'll always be in demand for the top races as his record is outstanding. How many Group Ones has he now? A hundred maybe?

Morgans

I dont know, but the vast majority of them were for Coolmore and HH Aga Khan.

Given that all four english classics were won by Aidan o'Brien this year, and with the likes of Gosden, O'Brien, Godophin, Stoute, Cecil, Oxx, Bolger horses with clear pecking orders of jockeys, he will be dependent on horses like Dancing Rain coming along. Maybe Ursa Major. Even Fallon was back on a Faneshawe group 1 winner today - at one stage Murtagh would have been riding his.

I think its clear that he has an eye on training as well. I dont know where his ammunition will come from. I think he is a good jockey, but has been through two of the best sources of classic material. There arent that many more routes to classic wins.

faoile@n

Morgans wrote: »

I dont know, but the vast majority of them were for Coolmore and HH Aga Khan.

Given that all four english classics were won by Aidan o'Brien this year, and with the likes of Gosden, O'Brien, Godophin, Stoute, Cecil, Oxx, Bolger horses with clear pecking orders of jockeys, he will be dependent on horses like Dancing Rain coming along. Maybe Ursa Major. Even Fallon was back on a Faneshawe group 1 winner today - at one stage Murtagh would have been riding his.

I think its clear that he has an eye on training as well. I dont know where his ammunition will come from. I think he is a good jockey, but has been through two of the best sources of classic material. There arent that many more routes to classic wins.

Murtagh would have been first choice on Society Rock today only for the small matter that he was riding in Leopardstown

Personally I think Murtagh is one of the best jockeys in the business particularly round Epsom where he will pick up some very good rides for a few more years yet.

The Aga Khan sends his best horses to France anyway and Murtagh was hardly riding G1 winners every week on his horses.

I think Johnny will be just fine

Morgans

faoile@n wrote: »

Murtagh would have been first choice on Society Rock today only for the small matter that he was riding in Leopardstown

If that was the case, (I dont think it is) why did he choose Leopardstown against Haydock? Buick managed both. Is it that he has stopped chasing Group 1s? It happens when you get older. Wonder if Gibson and Fanshawe will jock off Fallon now he ridden him to Group 1.

I think Murtagh is a fine jockey, however that he will continue to mop up group 1s like he did when riding for Aga Khan or Coolmore is completely misguided. If he rides the favourite in 1 group 1 a year it will be lucky for him. Had he been riding for Coolmore, he could possibly have won 6 classics this year.

That falling out/splitting with these big owners has no affect on his career is silly.

UrbanFret

I wouldn't jock Fallon off for murtagh even if both where still in their prime. Fallon has few peers as a jockey and none who are still riding.

aidan24326

UrbanFret wrote: »

I wouldn't jock Fallon off for murtagh even if both where still in their prime. Fallon has few peers as a jockey and none who are still riding.

I don't know if Fallon is quite as brilliant as he was a few years ago (in fairness he probably isn't getting quite the same quality of ammunition) but at his peak he was the best jockey of his generation and probably one of the best of all-time I'd imagine. If you had a good horse going in a big race you still wouldn't mind having Fallon on board that's for sure.

Morgans

Its funny how quick things change without a top class stable behind you.

This is the profile of classic rides for a still top notch jockey since 2010.


1000 guineas:
2010 - 12/1
2011 - No ride
2012 - 100/1

2000 guineas
2010 - 125/1
2011 - No Ride
2012 - 28/1

Epsom Derby
2010 - 20/1
2011 - 100/1
2012 - 66/1

Epsom Oaks
2010 - No ride
2011 - 40/1
2012 - No ride

St. leger
2010 - 9/1 (AP O'Brien third string)
2011 - No Ride
2012 - No Ride

Needless to say he hasnt got close to placing. There are more to life that classics.

Jamie Spencer, by the way.

Harry Angstrom

Johnny Murtagh outstanding again today with his ride on Rosdhu Queen in the Cheveley Park. One of the best in the business!

Morgans

Yep. Good enough to have a proper retainer. Hope Haggas and Tinkler keep the horses coming.

Overthelast

Declan McDonagh takes over according to rte.ie

Harry Angstrom

I don't think Johnny will lose too much sleep over it. Most of the Aga's best horses are based in France anyway, and his breeding policy isn't very adventurous. He's got too many staying pedigrees and not enough speed injected into them.

Morgans

Johnny doesnt need em, and the Tinklers are likely to be a far more lucrative route.

Suppose thats the attitude that gets you the sack.

sting60

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I don't think Johnny will lose too much sleep over it. Most of the Aga's best horses are based in France anyway, and his breeding policy isn't very adventurous. He's got too many staying pedigrees and not enough speed injected into them.

Just to add to your excellent post which I have said on numerous times about the Aga Khans breeding.The list of NH owners/trainers wanting Oxxs cast offs is unreal.