Joseph O Brien

J.P. O'Brien, rider of Tapestry, trained by A.P.O'Brien, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount stumbled on leaving stalls and saddle slipped.

The Stewards received a report from Mr. P.L. Malone , Turf Club Clerk of the Scales, regarding the fact that J.P. O'Brien, rider of Tapestry, weighed in at 1.6 lbs overweight. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned, who stated that he had taken a drink of water at the start and also that his mount sweated up due to the delayed start which may have accounted for the overweight on his return. Having considered the evidence, the Stewards accepted the explanation offered and took no further action.

Forgive my ignorance but how can a horse sweating up cause the jockey to weigh in overweight?

I'm sure Joseph was asked the same question!...... NOT.

I was under the impression hat riders were allowed to weigh in up to 2lbs overweight, to allow for getting wet etc?

The non slip pads often soak up sweat like a sponge....thus making them heavier.

As for the saddle slipping....Aiden has changed the way he tacks up to accomadate Joseph's weight...obviously as he uses the lightest saddle

and girths possible Aiden now has to use breastplates on everything Joseph rides in a bid to prevent the saddle slipping.

Aiden used to be very particular in the way he tacked up..non slip pad...wither pad...weight cloth....absolutly no breastgirth.

I notice the younger boy Donnagha has obtained his licence and rides for James Nash in the apprentice handicap at Naas to-morrow.

Thank you, Hartley.  It's a pleasure to hear from someone with actual knowledge about hosses.

Always a pleasure Ozy......incidentally i thought Joseph's ride on Tapestry was superb....he doesn't get a lot of plaudits but i know

a lot of top jockeys who wouldn't have even ridden her out with the saddle that far back never mind put her in the race with a chance....a great piece of horsemanship imo.

Fully agree J.R...Having backed the winner myself for small money on here @ 13/1 , when I reviewed it when I got home realized how unlucky Tapestry was ...

There has always been the sense that Tapestry is their best 3yo filly. Ted Walsh was saying she is very light, though so hopefully they will give her a bit of time and maybe bring her back for the Yorkshire Oaks or something. Venus De Milo of theirs was beaten by the trip last time as well and you'd have to be with whichever of them shows up there if Tagrooghda stays with the colts.

On the topic of tack, Tapestry's chance wasn't helped by the fact that hers slipped back badly.

"That is something prone to happening with saddles that are tellingly referred to as postage stamps, and it duly transpired that the champion jockey Joseph O'Brien weighed in 1.6lb overweight.

Given that Tapestry was beaten by just a neck, those who backed her would be entitled to feel hard done by.

- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/horse-racing/ballydoyle-having-it-all-their-...

Thank you for that explanation JR Hartley

Sweat isn't absorbed into non slip pads, They are made with non absorbent material(Evazote the most popular), Trust me go buy one and throw one in a washing machine and once it's finished take it out, It's ready for use right away.
As for why he weighed in heavier than he weighed out it's very simple but you might want to ask someone in the sport for the answer as no one would post it on here, Preferably a jockey with a weight problem.

hard to have a view on this without being labelled "biased" one way or the other.

jockey's game is brutal - more so in Ireland - ask any number of economic emigrants to UK or further afield or even Gary Carroll, Tadhg O'Shea etc.....................

A trip to RACE is eye-opening to the hopes and aspirations of a young, generally disadvantaged, cadre of light weight young men and women hoping to make it in a system that will reject 60%-70%

We've had the silver-spooners who break our hearts if let - Barry O'Connell, Waley-Cohen etc - spending their money to their hearts' content and cocking a snook at the begrudgers.

Meanwhile from parents with an impeccable racing pedigree we now have an over-weight champion jockey having the rules adjusted to suit his circumstances and the stables owners are possibly powerless to impose their will (rumour has it that the days leading up to Australia's Derby win were full of dark mutterings) unless they want to lose their "genius" trainer. Same trainer is now introducing us to the whole family riding expensive flat and jumping stock because he simply can.

Coolmore desperately need new superstar stallions to replace Galileo and Montjeu (decd) and to ward off the multiple threats from a resurgent stream of competitors and they don't seem to have the one weapon used by Vincent O'Brien or his latterday successor (up to a point) for their jockeys: the door!

The irony of Joey's overweight on Saturday in possibly being denied a victory is that thanks to Coolmore's usual mob-handedness the final result was by far the best in terms of pedigree and value. Bracelet is now literally priceless. What Maria Niarchos thought of the result and subsequent weighing-in problems would be illuminating.

There are all sorts of non slip pads gut feeling.....not just neoprene or evazote and i've washed plenty....Chamois leather is still the most

popular in England strangely enough and just about nobody uses it here....

I think it's fairly obvious that Joseph is only able to make that weight if he denies his body of any fluids though not drinking and sweating

in a sauna......if he took a drink down at the start which he's allowed to do he'd put that weight on very quickly.

Jockeys down the years have taken all sorts of pills and potions to deprive their bodys of fluid....can't get away with that now though.

Light grey foam material pad normal used when jockey doin light...it would soak up a bit of sweat max .2 of a lb tho