RICHARD HUGHES

[Posts: 448Joined: 10 Feb 2009, 18:34]

BurroughHill wrote ... comes across as a bit of a tortured soul

I know the feeling only too well having 'tipped' numerous potential winners in the various competitions here in recent times.

I've come to the conclusion that many of the Usernames on here are, in actual fact, professional jockeys masquerading as punters and pundits. This explains why my 'tipping' selections are doing so badly. These so-called 'forumites' are riding to lose races simply because they're determined to see me come last in every competition. I reckon Nathan Hughes has got at them with his pot of gold. Notice the same surname as Richard?

Come on guys, reveal yourselves and at least give me a decent run for my money.

[Posts: 1576Joined: 29 Jan 2005, 18:58]

Blimey,a shouting post typed in capitals from a disgruntled punter criticising one of Hughes, R Hills or Spencer. I thought I was on the B*****r forum!

Just some thoughts:-

1. Why would serious punters be interested in a poor AW seller full of bad horses at an evening meeting at Lingfield which is just a sideshow for some binge drinking in the sun?

2. Despite his laid back demeanour, Hughes did care. He went to Lingfield for just the one ride for an outside stable.There is clearly resentment from punters for his previous statement that he rides for the owners paying him rather than punters.

3. Predictably the race turned into a two horse affair, Hughes's mount is a 7 year old gelding on its sixth trainer (some have trained it twice). He was riding it for the first time. He wasn't boxed in. without suggesting that it was in any way ungenuine, unquestionably his horse didn't find as much as he thought when he rode it a furlong and a half out and seemed to get outbattled by the winner (who was winning its fourth seller on the bounce). It wasn't his finest moment and he would probably do things differently next time , but far from the worst ride ever.

4.You know what you get with Hughes. Like Murphy over jumps it is hard to tell how much his mounts have in hand once they come off the bridle.

5. The ride actually didn't arouse lots of ire on B*****r- most thought he had got up instead of being beaten a nose.

6. It was an interesting article on Hughes in the RP , although didn't tell us anything we didn't already know.
Beneath the affable exterior, Hughes suffers the same nerves and self doubt as most of us. He is probably happier and more confident without the Abdulla retainer and riding for his father in law.

[Posts: 604Joined: 07 Aug 2008, 21:52Location: ENFIELD]

Per Bbobell:-

Just exactly how many winners have you guys ridden. Have you ridden at all.

That's a bit harsh Bb. I've never brewed a pint of beer in my life, wouldn't know where to start. But if I bought a pint that I thought tasted "off", I'd feel perfectly within my rights to complain.
I'm not a chef, footballer, politician, road-trafic planner, singer, dentist or many other things. But I reserve the right to moan when I reckon they've made a mistake. Likewise people are and were perfectly free to moan about me if I made a mistake doing my work. Jockeys should NOT be above criticism. Inevitably some of that criticism will be unfair; some won't. Haven't seen the race in question on this thread. Maybe the criticism is perfectly reasonable.
To infer that one can't complain about the performance of someone doing a job that we ourselves couldn't do is simply illogical.

You make a fair point Insomniac and no jockey is above criticism (I've ridden in precisely no races by the way). What annoyed me was the way the jockey seems entirely to blame when things go wrong in a certain way. It could be the horse, or the way the race was run. I also don't think that we praise jockeys enough when we see a particularly good ride. I think we all need to take a deep breath (me especially) before hammering out the kind of thread we are on now.

[Posts: 10789Joined: 10 Feb 2003, 15:43Location: Scotland]

I've posted on this subject before but anyone continually starting threads simply to criticise what they think are poor rides will be warned and then banned.

Jockeys should not be above criticism but the point of this forum is not to scrutinise every single race and lambast every percieved pilot error.

Plus - anyone who thinks Fallon, Murtagh, Moore and Dettori wouldn't have excelled in any era are, in my view, mistaken. All four are top notch.

Probally a wrong time to interupt at argumemt but can anyone tell me the last time a seller was run with everyone carrying the same weight? was this apart of the race conditions or something?

[Posts: 6247Joined: 06 Mar 2003, 16:25]

Conditions of the race wre colts and geldings carry 9-10. ANy horse that had won at least 1 race a 4 lb penalty. All bar the non-runner Turnham Green had won a race hence carried 10-0.

[Posts: 1055Joined: 05 Jun 2010, 14:11]

Hi Guys
Sorry cormack15 I hope that none of my posts (as a new contributor) have offended you
In my view racing is all about healthy differing views of jockeys, trainers, tactics etc
I agree 100 % that comments slagging off individual rides are not helpful as we all make mistakes and get bad luck.
I agree in part with your views about the jocks, in that Murtagh certainly (imo) would have held his own with all time greats, and I would also include the recently retired Kinane.
I think that Moore, with more top class experience, could also graduate to the upper echelon. It is unfair to currently be able to compare him with Piggott, Eddery et al
Have to agree to disagree with Fallon and the others though mate.
Still this is what makes racing great.

[Posts: 10789Joined: 10 Feb 2003, 15:43Location: Scotland]

No Coggy, that's fine, good to have you on board, enjoy the forum.

[Posts: 1055Joined: 05 Jun 2010, 14:11]

Cheers cormack15
This seems , to be a really good format with, in the main, really interesting contributors, who respect each others views.
Very refreshing.
Any chance that you can un-retire Pat Eddery for me !
An absolute genius
Hold ups, ride from the front, dodge pots, top class, sellers , the lot

[Posts: 3555Joined: 08 Jul 2009, 22:10Location: Wexford]

Welcome to the forum Coggy, hope you find it as enjoyable as I do

[Posts: 448Joined: 10 Feb 2009, 18:34]

Cormack wrote....but anyone continually starting threads simply to criticise what they think are poor rides will be warned and then banned.

Using the same rationale, will threads praising a jockey as 'the best thing since sliced bread' often based on the merits of one ride attract similar disciplinary action, please?

My fear about this diktat is that it will invariably dissuade most forumites from criticising any ride, no matter how blatantly suspect, for fear of having their 'card marked'. Do you really want a squeaky clean forum where views are sanitised and censorship becomes the norm rather than the exception?

I agree with recent remarks that some threads/posts have become somewhat inane and have contributed to the forum seemingly becoming less robust and dynamic with only the occasional thread attracting the cut and thrust of articulate debate (e.g. Lydia) though I fear some past forum contributors may have been warned-off for what, in global terms, have only been minor misdemeanors and petty skirmishes.

K

[Posts: 4673Joined: 12 Mar 2008, 23:07Location: Taunton Somerset]

I reckon Nathan Hughes has got at them with his pot of gold. Notice the same surname as Richard?

Come on guys, reveal yourselves and at least give me a decent run for my money.

Kenundrum you are very close, did you notice the ride I gave Canford Cliffs in the Irish Guineas and the one's Mr Wilson(Richard Hannon) raves about on Paco Boy? I believe I napped these on Bob's 4pp.

You just keep backing the N/R's buddy and wait for the wink, like the 15th June, the ones mentioned above. Mr Hann......I mean Mr Wilson and I have high hopes.

[Posts: 4151Joined: 20 Jan 2006, 11:28Location: The Ainsty of York]

If you'd offered me 10/1+ ten or so years ago that Hughes would still be riding on the Flat in 2010 I wouldn't have been tempted

Back then it looked for all the world that he'd lose his battle with bodyweight; that he's managed to control it speaks volumes for his resolve but I'd hazard a guess the effort required is the primary source of torture - to body and soul

He seems to come in for an undue amount of criticism on TRF and while I'm in no position to comment, having not seem much of him or any other Flat jockey in recent years, it is possible the grind of deprivation is wearing him down

Few 'long fellas' other than Piggott, who was a one-off in so many ways, have managed to continue for so long without the emergence and ultimate triumph of hidden demons