Jumping For Joseph?

I see that Irish (joint) champion apprentice Joseph O'Brien says that his days as a flat jockey are numbered.  Joseph is very tall for a flat jockey at 5-11 and he may still be able to get away with it for a while as he is only 18 years old - however, as we all know when you get a bit older the pounds suddenly appear from nowhere!  He says that he would love to ride over jumps in the future and I'm sure that there will be no lack of interest in securing his talents, especially after his ride in the £300,000 two year old stakes race at Doncaster yesterday - he gave the winner, Reply To Victory a cracking good ride.  I'm sure that any jump jockey will tell him to leave it as long as possible before he has to switch though.

I see that Irish (joint) champion apprentice Joseph O'Brien says that his days as a flat jockey are numbered.  Joseph is very tall for a flat jockey at 5-11 and he may still be able to get away with it for a while as he is only 18 years old - however, as we all know when you get a bit older the pounds suddenly appear from nowhere!  He says that he would love to ride over jumps in the future and I'm sure that there will be no lack of interest in securing his talents, especially after his ride in the £300,000 two year old stakes race at Doncaster yesterday - he gave the winner, Reply To Victory a cracking good ride.  I'm sure that any jump jockey will tell him to leave it as long as possible before he has to switch though.

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Surely it is about time that the BHA declared horses that do not come out of the stalls as non-runners?  Kieren Fallon was aboard 11/4 chance Kalendar Girl at Kempton on Wednesday evening when his mount planted and refused to leave the stalls - in my opinion as a punter, if you can't win you can't lose...maybe some of the bookies in need of some good publicity will start to give that concession?

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It was Laytown races over in Ireland yesterday.  It is quite a unique course in as much as it is held on the beach when the tide is out!  One description of the ground yesterday was "beachy"...only in Ireland!

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I see that the Rugby World Cup is nearly upon us and it is another one of those sports that no matter how hard I try, I just can't get into it.  Being bought up in the east end of London, there wasn't much rugby played at my school.  My wife clearly struggles with the sport more than I do and my wife asked me what the pundits were talking about on the television...I replied, "I think that is called a scrum!".

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Anyway back to the matter in hand, I have some more pictures from the gallops to share with you of a couple of new recruits who are yet to make their debuts for Pond House.  They are of Vincentian (who showed plenty of promise in bumpers) and War Singer (a multiple winner on the level in France)...

  
Above left: Vincentian and right: War Singer leads the string up the Pond House gallops