BC Mile - George Washington

[Hwjb]

Originally Posted by oracle80

Tim one of my most basic rules on Cup Day is never to single a Euro no matter how good they supposedly are.
I've seen too many of them berak 5 lengths behind the field, and I could write a book about the complete abortions of rides I've witnessed from their "fine jockeys". I mean Dettori is supposed to be the big star and to anyone who wants to tell me all about him, I only need refer them to the ride he gave Swain in the BCC back in 1998. That may have been one of the most tragic rides in history. Or that idiot who rode Antonius Pius, he should have had his liscense to ride in the US revoked on the spot. The worst was that guy Murtaugh who cost Lans and I about 400 grand last year(we woulda had 3 5 outta 6's on cup day) who rode Whipper. You just have to see this tragic incompetent piece of garbage's ride on Whipper last year in the mile.
The little chart they put on the side of the pp's said "traffic turn, checked 1/8th" but that basically only tells about 5% of the story. He also quit riding the horse on the turn for no apparent reason that I or anyone else could ever fathom. He got beat about 2 1/4 lengths.
Hell Dancing Brave got beat by Manila and he was supposed to be the greatest horse over there since Nijinsky.
I won't ever single a Euro, I don't care who they are. You do that and most of the time you end up cursing out a Euro jock for weeks in your sleep.

I take the point that there have been poor European rides, you should have added Kinane on Giant's Causeway, but I think you're overly harsh and overlook the good rides, more often than not when their strength has been discernibly more effective than their more rhythmic US couterparts. Fallon on Islington vs Prado on L'Ancresse always sticks in my mind. But also Murtagh on Kalanisi. Even Lester on Royal Academy.
As for Spencer, he had a pretty rough season at Coolmore, but has got better since, but it would be incredibly tough to judge any jockey based on a ride on that huge dog Antonius Pius.