Joseph O’Brien really is a chip off the old block
He certainly had a very uncertain start to the season, struggling to control his weight, but all of that seems well behind him and he is now riding at the top of his game.
I know it is a popular enough pastime to kick seven bells out of the lad, but there is little or no basis for such behaviour.
He makes very few mistakes, at least to my eyes, usually keeps things simple and is powerful in a finish. It’s just what punters want from a jockey. You can also add in the fact he is blessed with a grim determination and more than capable of pulling a seemingly lost cause out of the fire.
That’s exactly what he did at Roscommon aboard Father Christmas, trained by his father, Aidan, in a ten and a half furlongs maiden.
The son of Bernardini went off a heavily backed favourite and O’Brien was positively brilliant on him. And that comes from someone who had no euro riding on the outcome.
Father Christmas was in trouble a fair way out, but O’Brien refused to accept defeat and set about driving his colt for all he was worth.
He produced a superb display of raw power from the saddle and, in the end, Father Christmas was actually comfortably on top at the line. It really did emphasise that an apple never falls far from a tree. His father, of course, was also very determined when riding.
I particularly remember one day many years ago at Killarney, when Aidan was on the favourite in the bumper.
In those days most of the press corps would watch the races in the press stand and we were often joined in that area by one of the great characters of the game, bookmaker Edward “Baldy” Flood.
Today, most of the press vacate the pressroom just to go to the winner’s enclosure and, otherwise, will only leave their dungeon in the event of free food being on offer elsewhere!
Anyway, Mr Flood, like plenty more of us, was on the market leader, but when Aidan began to pump away on the far side of the track we looked doomed.
Approaching the home run, Flood had turned somewhat pale and I cannot say I was sporting a particularly rosy hue either.
There was no sound coming from Flood, as Aidan got stuck into his partner and then got stuck in some more.
About 50 yards from the line our hero finally gained his reward, as his charge powered into the lead.
Flood then bellowed in a manner that was probably heard as far away as Tralee! “And that’s why you are the champion amateur,” he screamed, much to the amusement of those of us “flooded” with relief.
I told that story one morning to Aidan at breakfast at Ballydoyle and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.
The point is that Joseph has the same will to win and aggression that his father had. It’s just that racing has moved on so much that the aggression now has to be so much better controlled. And he manages it beautifully.
While on the subject of top jockeys, that was some drive by Pat Smullen on Postulation to land a Listed event at the Curragh on Sunday.
Postulation had previously run in a three-horse affair at Fairyhouse, when well beaten into second by the outsider of the trio, Ger Lyons’ Buenos Y Bobos.
Fairyhouse is a far easier track than the Curragh and I thought the ten furlongs then stretched Postulation’s stamina.
On that basis, I was a little surprised Dermot Weld asked him to go the trip again at the Curragh and up in class to boot.
Smullen, however, was absolutely brilliant in producing his charge with a late burst to nail Parish Hall in the dying strides.
Is it possible then that Postulation did stay at Fairyhouse and was beaten by a horse we have simply underestimated?
****************************
At Auteuil last Sunday, the veteran Hurricane Fly trailed in sixth in the three miles one and a half furlongs French Champion Hurdle.
Sunday’s Racing Post showed that only Paddy Power priced up the race and, ordinarily, one would say well done to them.
But not on this occasion because, if the Post was on the mark, then this was a case of robbing the punters. The firm went 4-5 Hurricane Fly and that was followed by 5-1, 8-1, 9-1, three at 10-1, 12-1 and 14-1. There were six other runners priced from 33-1 to 100-1.
Forgetting totally about the six outsiders, Paddy Power was betting over 130% on the contest.
I’d say maybe 115% might have been deemed to be okay, but this really was unacceptable.
****************************
Fences and the fitting of a tongue strap haven’t half worked the oracle with Gordon Elliott’s The Game Changer.
He was always a talented hurdler, but regarded, with good reason, as a weak finisher. At Roscommon on Monday night, however, he followed his impressive debut success over fences at Punchestown with a game defeat of Rock The World and might even face the hill at Galway now!
