Owner Van Vuuren must be one patient guy

Brendanr wrote: True Elvis, but being a good Jock is not only about riding in your back yard. Some Jocks can ride day in and day out at the same track, but will only ever reach a certain level. Obviously being familiar with the track and knowing the horse helps but big race temperament, judgement of pace and being able to make spur of the moment decisions when things are not going according to plan is what you need a top jock for.

100 % Brendanr. but these top jocks also make mistakes ( went too early, left it too late )

Yes.. I'm not a massive fan / hater of Aba and his team. But I would just love to see a true and proper effort from him (and the rest of the field). Horrible seeing a result because of pace, bad riding etc. Best horse under the conditions must win! We are in for a good July I think..

Brendanr, not sure if you're old enough to remember the 1986 DURBAN JULY.

1,2,3, ALL trained by Terence Millard

result
OCCULT Bartie LEISHER 7/1
FOOLS HOME Felix Evens STABLE JOCK
ENCHANTED GARDEN Sutherland 5 / 1

Stable jock Felix, always had the pick of the rides... in the end was beat by the longest price of the Millard runners...... goes to show top jocks do make mistakes, be it choosing the wrong horse or wrong decisions in a race...... they're only human after all !!

Karl is a very good up and coming jockey, Dougie is a legend.

FOr me this booking is about the past and the future. Mike has already spoken about the ties between Dougie and his family and I'm convinced that in the future this horse will be campaigned abroad and with Dougie in the irons.

IMVHO this is unbeatable in the July.

Brendanr, not sure if we're going to see anything different in this years july as to the last TWO ( since they changed the track to one the size of Mauritius track )

To be honest the July is just not what it used to be & there are far too many hard luck / bad luck stories cutting off / bumping / boring then of years gone by where the race appeared to be pretty " fair & square " after they turned for home, & fanned out evenly across the course.

i don't think I'm alone with this view.

Brendanr wrote: Yes.. I'm not a massive fan / hater of Aba and his team. But I would just love to see a true and proper effort from him (and the rest of the field). Horrible seeing a result because of pace, bad riding etc. Best horse under the conditions must win! We are in for a good July I think..

Brendanr, all jocks make mistakes at some time or the other. However why are we relating Karl to poor riding. He has a 100% record on Abashiri. Mistake or not, he brought Abashiri home for the triple crown. Surely that shows sufficient maturity as a jockey and a fair level of BMT.
I'm a fan of Dougie Whyte and rate him higher than most SA jocks. You can't blame the jocks for pace as pace is used as a tactic in securing a win. If it suits a jock to hold up the pace from the front, then the jock has that right. Any jockey who complains about a race not being true run, must take the race in his own hands and go for the win. Trouble is not many jocks are prepared to take such a risk and have it backfire.
I feel for DW too as this move is a controversial one. Still I say Karl does not deserve this.

Way before my time..

But sounds like it was a great race!! Yip, jocks are also human..

Easy if what you say is on the cards & Aba might be heading for Hong Kong then i do see the logic in putting Dougie Whyte on to get the feel of the horse & to guage whether he is " up to " campaigning overseas. Hope the Azzman says something on these lines to the press so we can all get a better understanding for him switching jocks.

If it's true - then it's clear as mud right now.

ElvisisKing wrote: Brendanr, not sure if we're going to see anything different in this years july as to the last TWO ( since they changed the track to one the size of Mauritius track )

To be honest the July is just not what it used to be & there are far too many hard luck / bad luck stories cutting off / bumping / boring then of years gone by where the race appeared to be pretty " fair & square " after they turned for home, & fanned out evenly across the course.

i don't think I'm alone with this view.

Elvis, you're not alone, and I'm sure there are many who's pockets have been hurt by the new Greyville circuit and the last 2 July objections. I for one have been scalded when Wylie Hall lost out to Legislate (still think the decision was the wrong one - just my opinion) and again last year when Puntas Arena lost (again thought it was the wrong decision). The only thing keeping the July alive is its past glory - not sure how long that will last with a pathetic Greyville course - topic being debated on another forum.

ElvisisKing wrote: Easy if what you say is on the cards & Aba might be heading for Hong Kong then i do see the logic in putting Dougie Whyte on to get the feel of the horse & to guage whether he is " up to " campaigning overseas. Hope the Azzman says something on these lines to the press so we can all get a better understanding for him switching jocks.

If it's true - then it's clear as mud right now.

Even if it is true, I would hate to think the jock is riding to get a feel for the horse in the country's premier race.

18 horses at greyville is very different to what doug whyte is used to in hong kong where every horse has to give each other space and if you don't the jock gets suspended ..if that was implemented in the july half the field would end up on the golf course and the other half up marriot road..doug last rode there when running 2nd on alexanders horse in the july and he wont recognise the track now..if he isn't drawn well and gets into the top 4 after a furlong he wont run a place...he doesn't strike me as having gate speed or the type to be bustled early and whytes strength has always to place them well ..I cant have abishiri for me the met is his type of race not the july..

Elvis, i interviewed Mike for At The Races , the horse comes 1st but the long term plan is abroad and in particular HK as Mike said he loved it there but felt he had unfinished business.

This horse is a gelding so after he wins the July not much left in SA. Dougie no longer the captain in HK so fits in well with a possible international campaign.

For me this horse should bypass ALL this kak including the July and head to the USA. He would retire unbeaten over 1600m-2200m on the turf.