King looks a youngster with a massive future
Watching him out on the track, and the manner in which he handled the growing interest from the gathering press, it was hard to believe he was just 16 years-of-age.
It is no exaggeration to say he has been quite sensational this season and is a youngster with a massive future.
Of course King, from Kilbrin in Co. Cork, will only continue to be successful should he work hard, concentrate utterly on the job in hand and, somehow, manage to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground.
He does strike one, however, as an unassuming and confident young lad, who is unlikely to get too carried away with the enormous publicity that is inevitably going to arrive in his direction.
Academically, I have no idea how intelligent he is, but certainly King already shapes as a rider that is highly intelligent once throwing his leg over a racehorse.
He has that ability to be in the right place at the right time, seems to be very astute tactically and is already pretty strong in a finish as well.
I thought how tactically aware he is was more than showcased in one of his successes in particular at Cork, Almadaa in an ordinary six furlongs handicap. For most of the long straight, he simply refused to go for his horse fully and it was as if some sixth sense was telling him “not yet.’’
He did push the button, finally, inside the furlong pole and Almadaa responded generously to win snugly in the end.
It is quite remarkable that we have seen the emergence or two really exciting talents this campaign, because Colin Keane is not a million miles behind King.
He has greatly impressed on a number of occasions, none more so than when aboard Brendan Brackan at Galway.
This duo have now joined the more established Ronan Whelan, he rode four winners at Wexford recently, and the conclusion is simple, the future of Irish flat racing is in rather good hands.
to offer prices about Monday’s Naas winner, Great White Eagle, for next year’s English 2000 Guineas.
You’d really have to wonder if these people have nothing better to be doing than quoting a horse for a classic, that has just won an ordinary race.
Yes, we all know he was impressive, quickening nicely through the final furlong to score with plenty in hand.
But he represents a yard, Ballydoyle, with a wealth of juvenile talent and who in their right mind would want to back him for a contest that is so many months away?
is currently beavering away in an effort to close the loophole that allowed Carlingford Lough to run in the Galway Plate.
The fact he was first reserve for the race, that Tony McCoy was jocked up to ride him and that the world and its mother knew was a virtual certainty to get in have all now been well documented.
Once Carlingford Lough had won the Plate all the usual suspects were soon lining up to offer their congratulations to connections, although there were lots of negative offerings, nearly all muttered discreetly of course, to be heard as well.
It must be emphasised the connections of Carlingford Lough did absolutely nothing wrong. They merely took advantage of a system that is totally flawed.
Should we hold our breath and wait for the Turf Club to offer an edict on the matter in the near future?
Certainly, it remains utterly ridiculous that a horse, in this case Like Your Style, can be taken out of a race on the basis of a surface on which he was more than proven.
when it comes to Snow Queen. Her future may well lie in advertising, you know the one about cigars, where the horse refuses to leave the stalls, so the jockey treats himself to a bit of a smoke.
She did it again at Cork on Tuesday evening, losing ten or fifteen lengths at the start of the Listed event won by Royal Blue Star.
Snow Queen eventually finished fifth, beaten a length and a quarter in total, so logic dictates she just gave that contest away.
At Cork as well there were plenty willing to lay the O’Brien hot pot, Venus De Milo, in the Group 3 for fillies.
The theory was that at 2-7 and 1-4, it wasn’t going to cost a whole lot and, if anything went wrong, the reward was going to be substantial.
Venus De Milo, of course, made most and was far too good for the opposition, as theory, not for the first time, was found to be a long way removed from reality!
