MAHER: "A VERY, VERY POOR RIDE. JUST STUPID."

By Graham Potter | Sunday, February 18, 2024

There wouldn’t be many jockeys who have escaped a major spray in their time in the saddle ... from Group 1 winners to battling bush riders.

You could say it comes with the territory. Sometimes the criticism goes over the top and makes headlines. Other times it is just a curt exchange between trainer and rider that largely goes unnoticed.

While you can understand the emotion of the moment, you nevertheless can also doubt the value of disgruntled connections bringing their criticism into a public arena, as if they were the only ones ever compromised by a dubious ride.

Publicly shaming a jockey doesn’t change the race result ... but it might just change the dynamic between a set of connections and their jockey to the possibly both parties detriment.

If they feel that strongly that they won’t engage that rider again, or at least give them a suspension, that’s all well and good ... but the level of that jockey’s expertise makes him or her worth another shot, connections might have to eat humble pie ... which, in fact, could lead to a two-way apology, a make-up hug with the two parties moving on, once again in step.

I guess, in most cases it comes down to a ‘never say never’ situation with racing moving on at such a pace that moments of angry exchanges can quickly be forgotten.

As it was this week, following Ciaron Maher’s very unflattering description of Craig William’s ride on the stable’s beaten $1.65 favourite Jimmysstar in The Elms at Flemington, which Maher stated blatantly deviated from the pre-race gameplan.

Maher told Racing.com, “Craig just had an absolute brain fade. I don’t know why he did that. That was not the plan. It has never been discussed. A very, very poor ride. Just stupid.”

That was on the weekend. Today is another day with Maher reportedly saying, ‘Craig's Craig. I wanted one thing, and he did another, but we move on."

And that is that ... albeit that Maher has now joined a long list of trainers who have called out their jockeys in a blunt, post-race manner.

It just goes to show we are all human and can make mistakes ... from a jockey taking matters into his own hands when instructed otherwise, to a trainer given vent to his feelings when he could have chosen a better time and a place to do so.

Maybe both would want that time over again ... but things don’t work that way.

In the end, it’s all part of the show that is horseracing, where there is seldom a dull moment.

Williams took Jimmysstar to the lead when the early pace was sedate. Maher wanted the horse ridden back, as per his normal pattern. Jimmystar was only run down late by the $151 chance Makram, no less, and the jury is out as to whether, given the circumstances, Williams move, contrary to instructions, made any difference to the outcome. Some will say he should have followed instructions. Others will say you employ top jockeys to have them show initiative when it is required. They walk a fine line

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