Caledonia
Well-Known Member
Surely if the horse is below par, it is up to the jockey to take that into account and NOT ride for a miracle stride on him? AP tried to ride a tiring horse for two long shots, neither came off and the horse made mistakes.
As far as jumping on the first circuit goes, there is never going to be a problem when Denman is full of running. Go back and look at the middle of the Hennessy when he was jumping out of Ruby's hands, and then the end of the Hennessy, when he was not on a perfect shot (3rd last & 2nd last), Ruby let him pop.
Denman's greatest strength is his ability to maintain a superior cruising speed, under even a heavy weight, or at the end of a race, that leaves his rivals out on their feet. He doesn't get faster, the rest can't live with him.
However, that cruising speed also governs how the horse jumps. If he's travelling still full of running, them he will take the jockey to a long stride, as he did at the cross fence. The horse's decision, not the jockey's.
If however, the horse is even slightly tiring, he's already pretty much at his optimum; I don't believe the horse has speed gears at the end of his races, to me he's more like Carvills Hill was, so to push for more on a horse that is already giving everything, is asking for trouble.
I've watched Denman in every race he's had, I think he's awesome. But his way of running and jumping is always going to be his downfall at the end of a race if (and it's a big if) another horse can live with him, and that horse also has speed.
I think AP will always push for that last bit out of a horse, that's why he has won so many races. That is not a criticism, but fact. However, doing it on a horse that has no more to give is where his rides look ugly and go wrong. Like yesterday.
It makes no odds if what happened to Denman was whether he was tired because of not being right, or tiring as he can do, either way the jockey on top should know what he's sitting on and ride accordingly.
As far as jumping on the first circuit goes, there is never going to be a problem when Denman is full of running. Go back and look at the middle of the Hennessy when he was jumping out of Ruby's hands, and then the end of the Hennessy, when he was not on a perfect shot (3rd last & 2nd last), Ruby let him pop.
Denman's greatest strength is his ability to maintain a superior cruising speed, under even a heavy weight, or at the end of a race, that leaves his rivals out on their feet. He doesn't get faster, the rest can't live with him.
However, that cruising speed also governs how the horse jumps. If he's travelling still full of running, them he will take the jockey to a long stride, as he did at the cross fence. The horse's decision, not the jockey's.
If however, the horse is even slightly tiring, he's already pretty much at his optimum; I don't believe the horse has speed gears at the end of his races, to me he's more like Carvills Hill was, so to push for more on a horse that is already giving everything, is asking for trouble.
I've watched Denman in every race he's had, I think he's awesome. But his way of running and jumping is always going to be his downfall at the end of a race if (and it's a big if) another horse can live with him, and that horse also has speed.
I think AP will always push for that last bit out of a horse, that's why he has won so many races. That is not a criticism, but fact. However, doing it on a horse that has no more to give is where his rides look ugly and go wrong. Like yesterday.
It makes no odds if what happened to Denman was whether he was tired because of not being right, or tiring as he can do, either way the jockey on top should know what he's sitting on and ride accordingly.
