Pendleton to ride at Cheltenham

Wonder if she'll pick up any spares though?

With the amount of publicity she has had, I wouldn't be suprised if pacha went of 2nd fav, and be a great laying opportunity.

You make it sound easy Rog! She fell off on the flat LTO, just fell off. The 6/4 to complete looks a bit skinny to me, she won't have been anywhere near a field of this size.
I agree though, the exposure will be great for the sport.
There can be few better qualified to have a go at this than VP, as on paper she has all the right attributes to make a success of being a jockey; balance, strength, fitness, determination, courage etc etc - the fact she is finding it so challenging serves to demonstrate the talent and, particularly, courage of all the Jocks who line up at Cheltenham.

You make it sound easy Rog! She fell off on the flat LTO, just fell off.


Is that comment related to her latest point to point yesterday or Fakenham where she got bumped into and clearly lost her balance after losing an iron

I think her execution of it will be spot on and the only issue with it will be whether the horse is good enough. This is a supreme athlete, proven in the arena of high-profile championship events.  No disrespect to the other jockeys in the race but they aren't professionals and I doubt there will be any in the race who will compare mentally or in fitness to her. Horsemanship maybe, but not championship mentally. Cometh the hour, cometh the (wo)man!

She will be ultra-cool, won't lose composure, will be utterly focused and this will all benefit the horse.  If the horse jumps the fences, stays lucky and is good enough, then expect her to ride the race of her life over the last few furlongs.

I'm maybe on my own here, but I find the whole Pendleton drama the biggest yawnfest ever, I don't care whether she does or doesn't ride, and as for it brings great publicity to our sport, well it won't make a jot of difference to my festival whether she does or not. The best racing of the year in 7 days time and we're losing column inches to this total non story

I really don't get this "she is better than plenty who have ridden and who will ride in the race", on what evidence are we coming to this conclusion? Has she not fallen off her horse twice on the flat from a small amount of rides she has had? Her unseat at Fakenham was about as soft an unseat as you'll see and she looked to be on her way out of the saddle even before the minimal contact with the horse beside her mount.

The thing I don't get is why an incredibly high-achieving Olympian sees "getting round" at Cheltenham as a successful outcome. It's a horse race, and on the grandest stage of all - the goal is to win, and if you are not capable enough to go there hoping to win, then what is the point?

When you think that the vast majority of people's first sport is football if you asked a member of the public who x was they wouldn't have a clue!  I personally cannot stand football, 22 over paid gay ponses on a pitch trying to kick a football about with over paying fans segregated like children but kick off when their team loses and wonder why their segregated, the game makes my skin crawl!! Unless it's the world cup or euros where everyone is your friend.

My first sport is horse racing, my second is rugby union. Go to games, sit next to a opposing fan and get p!ssed together! Together with the atmosphere result!!

What am trying to say is genuine racing fans and staff will stay within their bubble, nothing much else will change, the winners will get celebrated, the unlucky will get commiserated and God forbid any horses that die will be greatly mourned and appreciated!!
If we can get 10% imo that are only interested in the grand national once a year interested in vp then racing has had a result!!

Case closed imo!!

No harm to the lass I wish her no malice, racing will get 30secs on the Friday news, instead of being 30 secs on the gold cup, we'll get a fleeting mention of the winner of the blue riband, and the rest on Victoria falling off her horse but she's been so brave blah blah blah

loper. There won't be many riding with her natural sporting prowess though.

There is no doubt in my mind she could get better than alot riding in this race in a fraction of the time. She has also had the very best teaching her... not many can say that.

Thats hardly the point is it.

The point is that you don't win an Olympic Gold unless you are incredibly driven.... Im not sure sports like cycling or horse riding are that much about natural ability myself. Just hard work and application. Some of the jocks riding in this race do it as a part time hobby. With her full attention, and a year training and practising with the best help out there, I don't think its big stretch to say she can be as good as some riding in this race. Obviously not the majority, some of whom are almost like full time jockeys, but some. Clearly race experience will be her biggest weakness.

We are entitled to our opinion bankit. Just don't understand the negative feelings towards her myself. Good on her and hope she does well.

I think "Ride" is a strong term for what she'll be doing at Cheltenham, May I suggest "Sitting as still as possible while the horse looks after her as best as it can" as a alternative.

The problem is CCM, that no one else would dream of riding in such an epic race with her level of inexperience which could end up in very tragic circumstances.

Betfair, who sponsor this gimmick, (for gimmick is what it is) should be ashamed of them selves for wanting to gain commercial exposure in such a mercenary way. Taking advantage of Pendleton's naive enthusiasm and fame shows you what this company has turned into since their IPO.

And Nicholls' part in this potential fiasco? Well, nothing surprises me there, not since I stood behind him in the TOTE office at Taunton racecourse hearing him shouting 'fall you bastard' at the TV when watching a race from an away meeting.

I feel really sorry for you loper and all of the others that think this is a bad idea for racing

Really really sorry

I hope she wins it now, can see it now, oh but wait no, you lot wont come on here with tails between legs will u!

Racing attracts many greedy bar stewards, as does other things that attracts big money to it. Some people just want to keep it all to themselves and gain more and more (the bubble i talk of above) others can see for themselves that racing can only benefit from outside exposure such as this.

Stay within the bubble if you wish, but when it bursts don't cry about it when your that lonely sad old man sat in the bookies playing 20p bets cos the wool was dragged from below you when you were only interested in you! Oh but wait, you wont be cos you're always are against stunts like this racing's popularity waned even more other than grand national day, causing racecourses to go under, shops to close etc etc. Because betting shops isn't only about fobts and football!!

If that makes sense Not in the slightest.

I feel really sorry for you loper FFS! pull yourself together.

Racing attracts many greedy bar stewards, as does other things that attracts big money to it. Some people just want to keep it all to themselves What the phuuck???

Stay within the bubble if you wish How can you possibly think this is about anything other than safety? You clearly have no idea regarding the risks involved in this sport.

STS, I think you're well overestimating the impact one ride will by Pendleton will have on Racing.  The fact that Pendlton is riding in an amateur race isn't going to make the masses go out and start watching it.  The Foxhunters might get slightly bigger TV audience but the long term impact will be negligable.

To me it makes it look like racing is a second class sport too, in that someone from another sport (albeit good at another sport) but then suddenly jump into the main arena of another one with hardly any experience, isn't right.

To me, the horses are the stars of racing.  Not the jockeys, owners, trainers etc; yes sometimes you get good news or feel good factor stories, but imo this one gimmacky ride could easily make bigger headlines than if Don Cossack / Cue Card etc won a fantastic renewal of the Gold Cup.

Shouldn't racing be promoting the Cue Card story more?  Been back to the track about 5 times, won when he was like a teenager and in the latter stages of his career, taking on the Irish who are coming at him from all angles, going for the million bonus, his elderly owner has just died so it'd be great for their family - that is much more of a racing story than a cyclist turned jockey for one day.