It Must be Hard Defending Your Son

Not the worst jockey, however is not up to the top job

Can there be as any jockeys in history to constantly be beaten on short-price favourites by less than a length? Unless the horse goes miles clear on it's own, it will never get any assistance from the saddle. I'm surprised Magnier puts up with it

Agree with that Chorkie....I was harsh before. He is not a bad rider but he isnt a top notch rider and certainly should not be stable rider for one of the premier stables.

Respect the father for sticking by him but he needs to change. Assume it would be difficult though !!!!

See Anna is getting on some of the second strings in the maidens rather than Seamie / Colm - a possible ready-made replacement for if and when Joseph loses the battle against the scales?

*Ana

I don't have the stats to back it up but I suspect A.P.'s runners win way more races 2nd up than first.
First race (life or season) are often just preps.

What is the Stewards for? Nothing in it from what I could see.

listen!just lay this geezer on every shortie for the whole season and i guarantee ,u will be in profit.

In this case, it looked like he misjudged where the line was

Joseph clearly on the better horse but when he went for him the horse was a little green but this is a 2 yo and he should have anticipated this possibility.

Can you imagine someone like Olivier Peslier getting that beat? No, me neither. It was an awful joke of a ride. Yes I backed it, more fool me I suppose.

does the stable get many first time out two year old winners in April?

Coolmore are devastated when they don't win a maiden...Listen ye have to see the bigger picture.

Easier to question whether you should be taking even money on a 2yo colt when You know he's not going to get a hard race.

Why is it always the jockey who gets the stick in this combination? This seemingly happens every season - perhaps Aidan should get the horses ready to win first time - it wouldn't take much more as many are just beaten by small margins. Swop the trainers for that race and you almost certainly get a different result because winning that race meant that much more to Bolger than O'Brien.

O'Brien has things too easy.  It doesn't matter how many times he fcks up daddy is not going to get rid of him.

The silliness of some of the comments here takes believing -when the evidence of many seasons is clearly known.
Oh yes , and all of Aidan's should be champions ...and his favourites should always win -even though he doesn't set the odds.

He wasn't beaten up, but he was hard ridden and given a couple of slaps, but was just held by a fit Bolger horse for who the market spoke volumes.

And to be fair to young Joseph, at least he managed to secure a clear run, which Smullen somehow managed not to.

And while we're on about Smullen and O'Brien, I thought Joseph totally out-rode Smullen the other night at Limerick. Smullen on Voleuse De Cours allowed Joseph to easily establish a few lengths lead and set soft fractions, and not surprisingly couldn't run El Salavdor up the straight.

Vubiant - are you arguing that he's EARNED this privileged position?

No Navel-Gazer ,the position is what it is.
I remember back to when a whole raft of M V O'Brien's first time out 2 y os were beaten when they were ridden by some of the best jockeys around.
The odds set are 'reputational odds' since there's no form only breeding and the trainer's profile.
It has little or nothing to do with the jockey....what happened today has been happening for years .
the only surprise is that anyone is surprised.

Vubiant - that's OK squire...I agree with what you've posted

Just had a quick look back at it and no suggestion imo that Michaelmas was given a soft ride - the horse was ridden from just inside the furlong marker and hit 6 times, the last 3 of which were particularly sharp.

If I was to be critical of a ride in the race then it would be Smullen, who perhaps lacked composure in diving for the inside with nearly still a furlong to run, and as often happens in those situations, found the jockey just to his outer trying to close the gap.

Why would O'Brien have them fit at this point of the season. Much bigger fish to fry in MAY/JUNE/JULY ETC...
May not be right but its realistic truth about the situation