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The Bryan Cooper thread

  • Thread starter Thread starter Morning Glory
  • Start date Start date
Jamie Stier, the director of raceday operations for the British Horseracing Authority, said the starts had been “mostly pleasing”, adding: “It was apparent that the majority of riders were doing their utmost to cooperate with the starter … The only race to be a real disappointment was the Foxhunters.” That race is one of three at the Festival restricted to amateur riders.

Stier was also minded to give credit to jockeys for observance of the whip rules, noting that Noel Fehily and Wilson Renwick were the only two British-based jockeys to be found in breach during the four days. He also offered credit to “the vast majority of Irish riders” for making an effort to adhere but could not bring himself to name Bryan Cooper, whose two whip bans on Friday earned suspensions totalling 15 days, which will prevent him from riding in the Grand National or the Irish equivalent.

“There was one notable exception, which was disappointing,” said Stier. “It is simply not acceptable to just disregard the rules in this manner. However, we are sure that the penalty imposed is appropriate and will hopefully ensure that the lesson is learned.”
 
Brian OConnor

Since Bryan Cooper is just 22, there is surely better to come from Gigginstown's jockey who wound up with fifteen days worth of whip suspensions from the final day of the festival.

For what it's worth, both the eleven days for the Gold Cup and the four days in the Albert Bartlett looked a little harsh. There was hardly anything x-rated about either.

But sometimes there's no substitute for experience. An older head would have calculated the stewards would have been keeping an especially beady eye in the Gold Cup having handed out the four days in the previous race. And it's hard not to suspect it is human nature for stewards in ban-mode to get tough with someone they don't have to deal with on a daily basis.

An older head too probably wouldn't have gone for an ambitious run up the inside of Milsean in the Albert Bartlett. The colours on both Milsean and No More Heroes might have been the same but Grade 1's at Cheltenham are not renowned for quarters being given or asked.
 
Cooper told his 32Red.com blog: "I rode out for the first time since my injury at Gordon's this (Friday) morning. I rode three lots and felt great, no problems at all.

"The aim is to get the all-clear from my specialist next Tuesday and get back riding next weekend.

"I would have loved to have been in action this weekend, but I am not rushing things and there is only one meeting that I am worried about, and that is Cheltenham next month."
 
Gigginstown are ruthless - was Bryan unfocused ?

"Bryan hasn't been dropped in lieu of somebody else," O'Leary said. "There won't be somebody else. If it lights a fuse under Bryan like it did with Davy Russell, who started riding like God after it, all the better –*Bryan will get buckets of rides.
"If it focuses him it could make a far better jockey out of him." *
 
Yep, thoroughly ruthless, there's a bit of Abramovic in O'leary, probably sees himself as such a massive investor he demands and expects success and anything but total success he'll ring the changes...
 
Done them no harm today ... I wonder which Cooper would have picked :devilish:
 
Kevloaf said:
Done them no harm today ... I wonder which Cooper would have picked :devilish:
Click to expand...

Gary O'Brien said BC would still have picked ATP if he had the choice.

I like Cooper and he seems like a really good lad so hope everything works out for him. He's had his fair share of bad luck in recent years.
 
Yeah certainly had more than a 'fair' share of injuries.

He'll do well, and I would be pleased to see him on a Cheltenham horse. Must be 8 or so winners since that "treble" a few years back that included Our Conor. Beneficent and Ted Veale the others? Won on Apple's Jade and the "worst horse they have" this year... Obviously Don Cossack the year before ... can't be any younger jockeys with as many wins.

Good luck to him!
 
Will give this a bump, some fall from grace having just 2 rides this year at the festival, both pretty much no hopers.
 
Folski said:
Will give this a bump, some fall from grace having just 2 rides this year at the festival, both pretty much no hopers.
Click to expand...

Yes agree, world at his feet 2 years ago.
But to be fair to Giggs, they've seen an upturn in fortunes since making the switch to pooled jockeys...
 
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