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Captain's Blog - 10th November 2010

It is hard to know why Johnny Murtagh decided to leave Ballydoyle. Indeed, nobody other than those close to the decision will ever know. He has had a good innings though, as they say, and whilst the O’Brien team has been good to him he has been an excellent jockey and ambassador for them. In other words an excellent working relationship has come to an end as they all have to at some point. The thorny question of his successor is one that is difficult to find an answer to.

There are a number of good candidates. Christophe Soumillon is favourite, but whilst he has the talent does he really have the temperament and is he enough of a team player? He is particularly well known for his ability to ride Longchamp which has been described as his back garden and that is the salient point, because Soumillon is a superb jockey when it is all about him and when he is in his own comfort zone. I believe he is top class but not the team player that you have to be at Ballydoyle.

Kieren Fallon figures prominently in the betting for the job, but as good as he is I cannot see Ballydoyle employing him. He has done the job before and I think Aidan and his mentors would find it hard to work with him for a second time because the reasons behind their original split will have left something of a scar. Pat Smullen would have been the man but he rules himself out yesterday. In my opinion they could do a lot worse than try and entice Christophe Lemaire to leave the Aga Khan, but that is very unlikely. He is a brilliant jockey who understands horses as well as how to ride them, two different disciplines that not all jockeys have mastered, but I do not think he will leave his current job. This is thus a difficult and important decision for the Ballydoyle team, they need another Johnny Murtagh, but there is only one, and there is no obvious replacement around.

Both of our selections got bogged down in heavy conditions yesterday leaving me wishing that there had been some all weather racing to have a go at yesterday. Luckily there are two all weather meetings today for me to attack one of which is on . Yes we are at Kempton again this evening and Rishi Persad will be your host, please send your Mails to him at [email protected] and I am sure the guys would be interested in your thoughts about the Ballydoyle job.

I am a man of leisure today before embarking on a four day stint in the booth. I plan to make the most of it and do a stint in the Gym as well as a spot of tidying in the garden which will not only suprise the local Squirrel population, but will also be a shock to my system given that I ahve not done much in te garden for a while.

Time to get the wellie’s on. All the best for a successful day.

Today's Selection

4.00 Southwell – Charles Parnell (each way 8/1 Stan James )