Barry Geraghty out of Cheltenham

Get on Mark Walsh at 12s for top jock at Cheltenham, a more than capable adversary.

I see Thistlecrack is 10/1 here for the Gold CUP, is he running or not.

Walsh is a very good rider but there's a good chance he won't get that many opportunities, particularly good ones. Coleman Johnson and Fehilly seem likely to get on some of the best British trained ones.
He's likely to get on Jezki and Coney Island and also Blazer to name just 3 off the top of my head but it's unlikely he will get on Beuveur Dair Unowhatimeanharry Defi Du Seuil etc.
To be brutally honest Geraghty who is my all time favourite rider, is not a patch on what he used be. His riding has left a lot to be desired with quite a while

Can’t see Mark Walsh getting a huge number of opportunities over there. He will quite probably ride the Irish based runners but hard to see him riding JP’s best hopes. Dickie will ride Defi & Fehily will ride Harry. Can see Fehily & Coleman splitting the CH rides. Sam likely to ride Movewiththetimes. Walsh could get on Uxizandre alright. He will have a better book than a lot of riders but the likely scattergun bookings will probably just open the door wider for Ruby.

Walsh is twice the rider of Coleman, how he'd be ahead of Walsh in the pecking order is a mystery to me

He may have a chance of riding Yanworth as whoever gets to ride it will never have ridden it in public before. I wouldn't be so sure twiston davies will ride anything for McManus as there's no love lost between JP and his father.

Geraghty is an all time great but hasn't ridden well since he took the McManus job.
Ruby not riding well either,I think injuries have caught up with him.

Now is the time for some young rider to come up to the plate,providing he can avert serious injury that jockey is Jack Kennedy.

Funnily enough Walsh didn't ride Edwolf today Robbie Power got the call.

Edwulf is a ropey jumper and he has spent a good bit of time down with Con Power (Puppy’s father) who would be well known in showjumping circles.

CR Mark Walsh is undoubtedly a fine rider but he has limited experience around Cheltenham (on live horses at least). I’d expect them to go with the jockeys closer to the various yards as well as those who have ridden winners at Cheltenham. Also, Coleman is a proper rider. Coleman very likely to have first pick of Jonjo’s two in the Gold Cup (and could see Dickie riding the other). Mark’s biggest asset is his loyalty to the crown. It also means he’s probably not going to cause a fuss when the rides are being divided out.

Wasn’t aware of any issue between JP & Nigel. Surprised their paths have crossed to be honest.

Aidan Coleman has done very well for JP this season, 20 winners from 83 rides. He knows the course very well too, I think he'll be the main beneficiary. He's riding very well in general too.

Power gave Edwulf a peach today, wouldn't be his biggest fan but the ride he gave edwulf today was out of the top drawer, kept him out of harms way and made sure he got proper view at his fences by keeping him wide id imagine the objective today was a clear round and anything else was a bonus but ironically his jumping won him the race today. Any of you know what they're targeting with edwulf at the festival? I've had a keen eye on this lad a while now.

What about that absolute mule labaik again today, imagine owning a horse like that, you'd be tearing your hair out! Tonnes of ability but an absolute pig, i think they'll actually be happy he took off eventually today as they won't be able to ban him again or am I wrong?
Will probably skate in at Cheltenham if he decides to take off

Labaik's run was incredible to me,would be interested in hearing others view on it.
It seemed to me he was left a long way but amazingly appeared to finish closer at the finish.
Its hard to equate the distance he was left,he seems to have been beaten 100 lengths.
Was he left more than a 100 lengths ?

Kennedy used his young considerable racing brain by getting him to trot after him to avert a ban.

That's what I thought wildman, very clever of young Kennedy indeed, there was a stage I thought he was gonna latch onto the field,
Obviously very talented but has a mind of his own, can't see peace news lasting long with giggy, another hound.

As for the 2 lads Elliott sent down to the start to get after Labaik... one stood back altogether while the other lad gave two little waves of one arm but kept his other hand in his pocket.Great help it was

Elliott when interview by G O B yesterday thought it was one of the best in the yard but at a loss regarding his reluctance to start.
I thought he completely refused after initially looking to be very slowly away,it was quite a few seconds after they showed him and he looked stone dead, 1st glimpse on replay entering back straight sshowed him detached but not as much as you would think, they seemed to start slow but that didn't last too long.

He is unbackable unless IR anyway,even then could be liable to do anything, saying that at double figures today it could well have won,very talented,pity for the owners.

Twister came on tv one day telling whoever he was speaking to that his horse won the champion hurdle, well at least he was the moral winner because everyone knows the real truth regarding binocular. He was as full as a bus but that won't matter as he meant what he was saying. You can be sure that didn't go down well though and you can be solid certain that he will never ever get a horse from him .
He's about the only top trainer in Britain that doesn't have a green and gold representative.

Who was full as a bus NTD or Binocular?

STD has ridden a couple for JP in egg and spoon races, perhaps the festival might be different though.

Khyber Kim was the rightful Champion Hurdle winner because the winner was juiced I presume. Agree Geraghty has slipped a bit, I thgink I remember it was the same situation with Kinane but he could still raise it for the big days.

Geraghty is a class above all the lads mentioned and he's a loss for sure. Punjabi, Riverside Theatre and Jezki recent examples of his genius. I don't think other jocks have ever gotten the Stayers Hurdle fav to travel as sweetly, Yanworth will need getting after too and Geraghty judged it perfectly at Christmas and the other week. Coleman is probably the should for this because he at least knows the course enough to stay in his ground. Big loss, would love to see Mark Walsh get some opportunities. In fact I wouldn't mind himself and Robbie Power divying it up, Robbie has proven himself in recent years in fairness to him.

I find Fehily to be a bit of a show pony these days, packs very little in a finish and the Henderson horse will have to be a superstar to win the Champion Hurdle because I wouldn't fancy Noel in a driving finish these days.

I think Johnson has issues presenting horses at obstacles and presume this will be magnified at Championship pace, most of his chances seem to be hurdlers so that mitigates it a bit. Think him and the trainer are the two biggest negatives about the triumph horse but at least he knows the horse. I think he decks Uxisandre.

odds on ap returning to the saddle with all the good things jp has?

Dj, the twister was elephants otherwise he'd have kept his mouth shut I assume. But what's in sober comes out drunk and he has made the reference to Khyber Kim more than once on terrestrial television. The son has ridden for the green and gold but as you say it was in run of the mill contests. He even fell off one of theirs on the run in at Southwell one day with the race in the bag.
My guess is that they will look elsewhere with Movewithtimes, particularly if they think it even has a reasonable chance. I cannot see this mob being any way accommodating to the jockey or indeed the trainer.
Maxheadroom, it's the time of the year for stupid conspiracies and conclusions. We've had the nonsense with Yorkhill, now it's Thistlecrack , but the one about McCoy coming back is the most stupid of them all. It's about as likely as Bobby Charlton coming back to play for Man United.

Agree re fehily, a good jockey no doubt, but one who thinks he's better than what he is.

I think edwulf has a big engine. Bad ground suits no horse and carrying 11-12 deserves a lot of kudos.
Agree with above posts jps UK horses will be spread amongst jocks who know those horses best.
Disagree about ruby his strike rate is superb
Twist on Davies is having a shocker he is losing rides

My educated guesses would be
Beuveur Dair Fehilly
Yanworth Johnson
Unowhatimeanharry Fehilly
Defi Du Seuil Johnson
Jezki Walsh
Coney Island Walsh
Minella Rocco Coleman
My Tent Or Yours Walsh
More Of That Walsh
Jers Girl Walsh
Blazer Walsh

You have it down exactly, Mincer. Don't know why I had it in my head Coleman would ride Yanworth.

Wildman Ruby on non handicap favourites since 1st Oct 60% winners. Not bad

Mincer11,

What's your opinion of the JP operation?

I know you often say that people can't expect to read the RP or watch video replays and expect to be as well informed as connections that contribute.(fair enough)

Is there not a threshold in wealth though (where enough is enough for all this cheating, even though it's ripe throughout),  where one would expect the messing to be curtailed or do you believe the green and gold's handicapping is exaggerated?

All the other bigger operations in Ireland run the majority of their horses on their merits ie Giggi, Potts, Ricci and Wylie.

A massive contributor ? Yes but for me he's contribution is a net negative? Horses would be still purchased but not at such inflated prices, only the financially viable stables will survive in the long run anyway.

Irish NH racing is in major trouble when the govt subsidy is eventually pulled anyway, it looks like it's going in the same direction as greyhound racing and for me JP (son) is one of the biggest reasons (no problem much with smaller guys pulling strokes, to be expected)

JP is a big spender but he ain't the only guy in town. I hear posts bought a p2p horse recently for 500k sterling.
Giggingstown are huge and even small yards in UK have 100k horses
It's the quantity of expensive horses that sets JP apart imo

macrocky, Potts has spent fortunes on horses and apart from S.Europe has had very little return on his investments imo.

Dj876
I must say that I admire JP, and his contribution to National Hunt racing in both Britain and Ireland is something each and every racing man and woman should be so grateful for.
A true Irish man and a  sportsman with a keen interest in both GAA and of course horse racing, plus of course the great work he has done in an around the Limerick area.
Look at the trainers jockeys stable staff etc who JP is almost singlehandedly keeping going, but its the charities that benefit from his generosity that should be most grateful, and very often nobody is aware of the decency of the man.
Obviously a clever man, but also a caring man, a quiet man, but most of all a gentleman.

aye..with a very very dodgy golf handicap.

Actually quite amazed by Mincers take on JP.  Gotta be tongue in cheek, right?

Mincer the arch-cynic, delightfully so at time, on a subject about which there is much to be cynical about....and yet we find affection and admiration???

He's in the mans pocket!

No Oz, theres no cynicism here. Anything i wrote i genuinely meant. A very decent man who so unfairly at times gets criticised by people, normally because of outright jealousy, and like in Wonky's case because they had their last few bob on one of his horses, and for some reason it didnt perform the way it possibly should have.
The likes of wonks thinks JP has nothing to be doing but trying to get his benefit money off him, and in the process , sacrificing  a 40k race.
Conspiracy theorists abound every time one of his horses run below par. If Gigginstown have a beaten fav, then theres not a murmur, if its one of JP's then wonks and his pals are down the parade ring giving it large.
To have come from humble beginings to where he is today, all by very fair means, well all i can do is take my hat off in admiration.

Fair dues mincer I agree with you. The JP golf pro am is worth 20million to local charity.
JP is very good to the local economy.
Then with the horses he has that helps keep a lot of trainers employed and a lot of lads employed.
There are many wealthy people in ireland who aren't so generous

Exactly macrocky, a very honourable and decent man.
So many people in this country have so much to be thankful to him for.

@ Wildman

Seems Phil Smith is leaning your way concerning Labaik, Irish rating 137 and has him at 146 in the Martin Pipe,
not taking a chance at all with that one.

I wouldn't put Johnson sitting in the cinema. Dreadful at presenting horses at obstacles.

Mince,  Davy, now JP, just confirms my suspicions.

Wonks, you lost your €150 on the horse but there is no need for such bitterness towards the owner. You hardly think it didn't try properly in a 40k race. It may have been your last few quidbut if you did happen to write a begging letter to Martinstown, explaining your plight, then the great man may well see fit to reimburse you. He's already carrying half the country, another one isn't going to make much difference.

That's a disgrace re labaik, Phil Smith has basically just guessed with giving him that rating.

Mince,they don't call them the Irish Mafia for nothing,guy has pulled more strings than Strong bow ffs.

Walsh gets the Yanworth job.

Walsh might lack experience around there, but he has grown into a very intuitive rider and a good judge of pace. This could be his audition for the main job in 2 years time odd.

Always find the lack of experience line an odd one, the only way to gain experience is by been given a chance!
Nothing wrong with been thrown in at the deep end, he'll either sink or swim, I personally think he'll be more than capable of handling the occasion

I have watched him over the years,a very cool calculating jockey,and when the money's down he's mustard!

I'd have him over any of the English based alternatives, he is probably the jockey Fehily was in his prime while Johnson has never been my cup of tea. I wonder what input Alan King had if any as he seems to be riding his two best chances of the week.

More broadly, who gets the McManus job after Geraghty? or will they split it with an Irish number 1 and a UK based number 1. In a couple of years you'd say David Mullins or Jack Kennedy as the best candidates, but is the role in the guise McCoy had it suitable for 2 thoroughbred bred talents like that who are really only used to riding good horses relatively speaking. I'd say whoever gets it would want it in the way geraghty has it now, not slogging around England on a Tuesday riding trash, even if they are young men still.

Re McManus job post Geraghty Id imagine Aidan Coleman in UK & Mark Walsh in Ireland.

Think the tough finish will play to M Walsh's style,creeping there and suiting strong finishers.

Wave and sound of the whip by the assistant starter  the secret to get labaik running

Think it was the pig prodder myself