The Horse racing thread

[Donnellys Hollow]

What did u make of Joncols performance yesterday? I have been very impressed by this horse and I think he will be the one to beat in the Lexus. He is still a very young horse and could be a potential Gold Cup horse!

He'll take all the beating in the Lexus alright. I can't fathom how that slow old boat Notre Pere is favourite ahead of him. With Denman waiting for the Aon, Imperial Commander going to Kempton and Cooldine now a doubt, I think he could have a relatively straightforward task at Leopardstown.

He could well develop into a Gold Cup horse in the future but quicker ground is a concern until he proves he can handle it. He is such a huge giant of a horse and he hits the ground fairly hard. I'd have my doubts whether he'd handle it. I wouldn't want to write him off as a Cheltenham horse before he gets a chance to prove himself there but I've a feeling he could be the new Beef Or Salmon!

BTW Sammy, Alaivan is in the 3yo Hurdles at Gowran on Friday and Fairyhouse on Sunday. 

[sammymaguire]

thanks DH. I'll be paying attention

[Clown]

i was waiting on Bawaardi there in the 4.40 at wolv for the placepot

3rd in a 7 runner race, from the betfair forums it sounds like the jokcey didnt try too hard, anyone confirm this?

[Declan]

Sea The Stars jockey Mick Kinane announces retirement

Veteran jockey Mick Kinane, 50, has announced his retirement, ending a 34-year career in the saddle.

He bows out on a high after a stunning 2009 saw him partner wonder horse Sea The Stars to six Group One wins.

His success with the John Oxx-trained colt included an unprecedented 2000 Guineas-Derby-Arc treble.

Kinane said: "I feel fit and sharp enough to do any horse justice but I have the privilege of being able to end my career on an incredible high."

Born in County Tipperary, Ireland, the son of a leading National Hunt jockey, Kinane won the 2,000 Guineas four times, the Epsom Derby three times, the Oaks twice and the St Leger once.

He also picked up 11 Irish Classic winners and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe five times.

Kinane went on: "I leave with a huge sense of gratitude to all the great horses I have ridden, all the great trainers whose genius developed those champions and everybody else in racing, from the stable lads to the owners, who have made me deeply thankful for my involvement in the game.

"Teamwork is the key to success in racing and I have been blessed with some of the best alliances a jockey could have. The most important support of all throughout my career has, naturally, come from my wife, Catherine, along with my family and friends.

"Both Catherine and our two precious daughters, Sinead and Aisling, know how much they mean to me."

As well as riding hundreds of winners in Britain, Ireland and France, he also won the Melbourne Cup in 1993 with Vintage Crop and in the USA won three Breeders' Cup prizes.

He also had winners in Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Great jockey and by all accounts a decent fella - Best of luck Mick

[RealSpiritof98]

Bankok Pete
The City kid
hollow joe
The corby Glenn

Having a pop at these boys today. No tips above.

[orangeman]

Legend

Sea The Stars jockey Mick Kinane announces retirement 


Veteran jockey Mick Kinane, 50, has announced his retirement, ending a 34-year career in the saddle.
He bows out on a high after a stunning 2009 saw him partner wonder horse Sea The Stars to six Group One wins.

His success with the John Oxx-trained colt included an unprecedented 2,000 Guineas-Derby-Arc treble.

Kinane said: "I feel fit and sharp enough to do any horse justice but I have the privilege of being able to end my career on an incredible.

Born in County Tipperary, Ireland, the son of a leading National Hunt jockey, Kinane won the 2,000 Guineas four times, the Epsom Derby three times, the Oaks twice and the St Leger once.

He also picked up 11 Irish Classic winners, and France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three times.

Henry Cecil, the trainer who provided him with his first Derby success in 1993 on Commander in Chief, said: "Michael Kinane, in my opinion, was a brilliant, top-class jockey, a gentleman and a great ambassador to racing.

"He rode quite a few Group One winners for me including the Derby. Thank you very much Michael. Racing will miss you."

Kinane said he was leaving the sport "with a huge sense of gratitude to all the great horses I have ridden". And he paid tribute to "all the great trainers whose genius developed those champions and everybody else in racing, from the stable lads to the owners, who have made me deeply thankful for my involvement in the game."

He went on: "Teamwork is the key to success in racing and I have been blessed with some of the best alliances a jockey could have. The most important support of all throughout my career has, naturally, come from my wife, Catherine, along with my family and friends.



"Both Catherine and our two precious daughters, Sinead and Aisling, know how much they mean to me."

As well as riding hundreds of winners in Britain, Ireland and France, he also won the Melbourne Cup in 1993 with Vintage Crop and in the USA won three Breeders' Cup prizes. He picked up rides, and valuable winners, in some far-flung outposts including Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Slovakia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Kinane was named jockey of the year at the 43rd Derby Awards, eight years after his previous victory, beating off competition from Ryan Moore, Richard Hills and Richard Hughes.

A champion apprentice in Ireland in 1978, Kinane had ridden his first winner aboard Muscari for boss Liam Browne at Leopardstown in 1975. He had 14 years as number one jockey to Dermot Weld from 1983 before he was retained by Aidan O'Brien from 1999 to 2003.

An Irish champion jockey on 13 occasions, he said his first Derby win had been a key moment in his career.

He got the leg-up at Epsom on the Khalid Abdullah-owned Commander In Chief with Pat Eddery on the owner's supposed first string Tenby, who started an odds-on favourite.



That success in the showpiece summer classic was followed by Derby triumphs on Galileo in 2001, for O'Brien, before a third success earlier this year on the extraordinary Sea The Stars.

Pat Smullen, who succeeded Kinane as stable jockey to Weld, described his predecessor as "the greatest of them all".

Five-time Irish champions Smullen added: "Mick was such a great help to me when he moved on. He was not just a great rider but a great friend too."

Oxx said: "Michael was just the complete professional in every way. He had a great work ethic and he never let anybody down. Sea The Stars has been such a great landmark horse and it has been wonderful to have Michael there to ride him.

"The Arc is the one everyone will remember. There was so much at stake, no one wanted to see the horse fall at the last and get beaten, everyone wanted to see him finish up with a win and he was just so confident on the day.

"You couldn't have predicted it or planned it, but it has been great for him to have had the best horse he ever rode in the final year of his career. It's the sort of end that he deserves."

Another trainer, Mick Channon, said: "He's been an amazing jockey for as long as I can remember and he's a smashing chap as well. It's sad to lose someone like that, but what a great career he's had."

[Donnellys Hollow]

The greatest flat jockey Ireland has ever had? Certainly in my lifetime anyway.

I still have a very vague memory of the year he won the Arc on Carroll House. I think it was 1989. Just shows what an exceptional career he had that he rode the winner of the same race twenty years later. He rode big race winners all around the world and he always conducted himself well on and off the track. He'll always be associated with the all those great Coolmore horses like Montjeu, Galileo, High Chapparal, Rock Of Gibraltar, Giants Causeway, Hawk Wing and George Washington. I'll remember him for the great Vintage Crop especially. I'll never forget the scenes on the Curragh when he arrived home after winning the Melbourne Cup for Dermot Weld. Half of Kildare seemed to be there. It was like the reception that would be given to Arkle or Dawn Run.

[Mickey Linden]

I think Celestial Halo is an absolute cert at Cheltenham this weekend lads. henderson has come out and said Punjabi will need the run. CH has already had one impressive win under his belt this season.

CH could be one to lump on for the Christmas money. Especially given the Ruby/ Nicholls factor it is certain to go off a lot shorter on the day.

[oakleafgael]

The greatest flat jockey Ireland has ever had? Certainly in my lifetime anyway.

I still have a very vague memory of the year he won the Arc on Carroll House. I think it was 1989. Just shows what an exceptional career he had that he rode the winner of the same race twenty years later. He rode big race winners all around the world and he always conducted himself well on and off the track. He'll always be associated with the all those great Coolmore horses like Montjeu, Galileo, High Chapparal, Rock Of Gibraltar, Giants Causeway, Hawk Wing and George Washington. I'll remember him for the great Vintage Crop especially. I'll never forget the scenes on the Curragh when he arrived home after winning the Melbourne Cup for Dermot Weld. Half of Kildare seemed to be there. It was like the reception that would be given to Arkle or Dawn Run.

Thats a bit harsh on your own county native Eddery, although its only a subjective opinion I suppose. Fallon is as talented as both but an out and out rogue.

Enjoy your retirement Mick, hopefully a few more Authorized in the pipeline.

[bcarrier]

I think Celestial Halo is an absolute cert at Cheltenham this weekend lads. henderson has come out and said Punjabi will need the run. CH has already had one impressive win under his belt this season.

CH could be one to lump on for the Christmas money. Especially given the Ruby/ Nicholls factor it is certain to go off a lot shorter on the day.

Celestial Halo 5/6 and shortening Punjabi 9/4 and drifting .

If Punjabi doesnt blow up ( he usually needs his first run of the season but did win Fighting Fifth  FTO last year ) I think he should do CH for toe. I presume
Nicholls has oslot entered to make it a test . If Ebadiyan goes I presume he will take them along at a nice clip (and hopefully wont duck out) anyway.             

[Donnellys Hollow]

The greatest flat jockey Ireland has ever had? Certainly in my lifetime anyway.

I still have a very vague memory of the year he won the Arc on Carroll House. I think it was 1989. Just shows what an exceptional career he had that he rode the winner of the same race twenty years later. He rode big race winners all around the world and he always conducted himself well on and off the track. He'll always be associated with the all those great Coolmore horses like Montjeu, Galileo, High Chapparal, Rock Of Gibraltar, Giants Causeway, Hawk Wing and George Washington. I'll remember him for the great Vintage Crop especially. I'll never forget the scenes on the Curragh when he arrived home after winning the Melbourne Cup for Dermot Weld. Half of Kildare seemed to be there. It was like the reception that would be given to Arkle or Dawn Run.

Thats a bit harsh on your own county native Eddery, although its only a subjective opinion I suppose. Fallon is as talented as both but an out and out rogue.

Enjoy your retirement Mick, hopefully a few more Authorized in the pipeline.

Pat was a class act but Mickey Joe was calmness personified when the chips were down. Its his record in the big international races that would swing it for me. I remember when Go And Go went over to America for the Belmont stakes and became the first ever non-American trained winner of a classic over there. Kinane rode the Yanks to sleep.

King Kieren is a legend but his legacy will always be tainted to a certain extent. You only need to look at the amount of Group 1s Murtagh has one in the last two years to see the extent to which Fallon blew it.

I doubt that 5/6 will be lasting long about Celestial Halo for the weekend given the way Nicholls is talking him up. I might give Medermit a chance looking at how King's are coming on for their first run. Last year's novices were an above average crop IMO. I think Go Native proved that at Newcastle.

[sammymaguire]

Two horses that are up against a short priced favourite but should be excellent value
12.40 Leicester King Ozzy
1.20 Hexham What A Steal

[Sea The Stars]

The greatest flat jockey Ireland has ever had? Certainly in my lifetime anyway.

I still have a very vague memory of the year he won the Arc on Carroll House. I think it was 1989. Just shows what an exceptional career he had that he rode the winner of the same race twenty years later. He rode big race winners all around the world and he always conducted himself well on and off the track. He'll always be associated with the all those great Coolmore horses like Montjeu, Galileo, High Chapparal, Rock Of Gibraltar, Giants Causeway, Hawk Wing and George Washington. I'll remember him for the great Vintage Crop especially. I'll never forget the scenes on the Curragh when he arrived home after winning the Melbourne Cup for Dermot Weld. Half of Kildare seemed to be there. It was like the reception that would be given to Arkle or Dawn Run.

Thats a bit harsh on your own county native Eddery, although its only a subjective opinion I suppose. Fallon is as talented as both but an out and out rogue.

Enjoy your retirement Mick, hopefully a few more Authorized in the pipeline.

Pat was a class act but Mickey Joe was calmness personified when the chips were down. Its his record in the big international races that would swing it for me. I remember when Go And Go went over to America for the Belmont stakes and became the first ever non-American trained winner of a classic over there. Kinane rode the Yanks to sleep.

King Kieren is a legend but his legacy will always be tainted to a certain extent. You only need to look at the amount of Group 1s Murtagh has one in the last two years to see the extent to which Fallon blew it.

I doubt that 5/6 will be lasting long about Celestial Halo for the weekend given the way Nicholls is talking him up. I might give Medermit a chance looking at how King's are coming on for their first run. Last year's novices were an above average crop IMO. I think Go Native proved that at Newcastle.

Really? I'd say the two mile novices of last year were amongst the worst I've seen (HF apart) for a long time!

Stand to be proven wrong. 

[Lecale2]

Two horses that are up against a short priced favourite but should be excellent value
12.40 Leicester King Ozzy
1.20 Hexham What A Steal

First on 3rd at 9/2.

[maddog]

http://www.irishracing.com/cards/v5card088200912101505.htm