Jara on thin ice with Al Maktoum

Jax Cajun · #1 04-02-2007, 12:08 PM

I wonder if this same theory would apply to John Valazquez's looking for Street Sense aboard AG Saturday?
"When he asked the horse to move, he was looking back to see what was behind him," Sheik Hamdan said of his jockey. "I hate that. When you go, you go. You don't sit and worry about what is behind you."

other harsh comments for Jara...

DUBAI — Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, said the Panamanian jockey Fernando Jara, who rode Invasor to victory in the $6 million Dubai World Cup on Saturday night, made an indecisive judgment for Premium Tap to make a race out of it.

Speaking to newsmen at the Dubai World Trade Centre yesterday, the leading horse breeder and owner noted that the inexperienced 19-year-old rider tracked the early speed but unnecessarily eased the horse once he went strike for strike with Premium Tap, otherwise he could have won more impressively.

“I have spoken to Jara after the race and told him that his mistake could have cost him the race, because the horse may not respond again when asked the question for the second time.

“It was a risky misjudgment and warned Jara not to do it again. The Panamanian is still very young and did not understand what would have been the tactical cost of such a move,” Shaikh Hamdan said. Responding to a question of Khaleej Time whether the four-year-old Candy Stripes colt will be able to lower the records of Cigar and Secretariat, Shaikh Hamdan said: “Invasor is the best horse in the world and that was what made the difference. I wonder how did the handicapper rate the winner of the Breeders’ Cup at 129?” he asked.

Regarding the poor form of Discreet Cat, Shaikh Hamdan said it was astonishing. “In fact I have expected the Godolphin horse to lose even before the start of the race. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor told me that they were planning to come off the pace and I didn’t like the idea and that was why Discreet Cat failed to keep pace and faded away in the early stages of the trip,” he said.

“How you expect someone to win a race while you are pulling him from his shirt,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shaikh Hamdan said when asked about the similarity between the Arabian horse and the Arab man, they are quite different.

“The Arabian horse is obedient while the Arab man is up tide. Only Arabian horses and dogs are faithful,” he said with a smile.

Sightseek · #2 04-02-2007, 12:15 PM

I sorta sensed some tension after the race in the interviews as Jara looked a bit uneasy...

NTamm1215 · #3 04-02-2007, 12:18 PM

Wow, he sounds like a fireball.

I saw this posted on a different board as part of a story in the International Herald-Tribune I think. Kiaran McLaughlin responded by saying that Jara peeking back didn't bother him because it's usually a sign that a rider feels like he has a lot of horse.

Sheikh Hamdan must have watched that Donn replay over and over and was just waiting for Jara to do the slightest thing wrong.

His comments about Discreet Cat are also pretty solid. They need to ask him if he can fill in for HRTV or TVG.

NT

Jax Cajun · #4 04-02-2007, 12:18 PM

[quote=Sightseek]I sorta sensed some tension after the race in the interviews as Jara looked a bit uneasy...[/QUOTE

He must have wondered what torture chamber awaited him.

pointman · #5 04-02-2007, 12:19 PM

Since when is winning a race a bad thing? Why go all out on a horse when you don't need to? He must be kidding. Jara's not always my favorite jock, but this is ridiculous.

ArlJim78 · #6 04-02-2007, 12:29 PM

I have personally felt that Jara's style is a plus, and fits the horse very well.
He is on the best horse and he rides him confidently enough to get the win each time.

I like the fact that he wins without resorting to a frantic full on drive for the final furlong. He hasn't needed to do that to win, so why do it and unnecessarily use the horse.

Of course Invasor could have won by larger margins if he were ridden more aggressively, but what would be the point? I can see maybe targeting a specific race where they might want to race against the clock and go all out, full throttle. But I don't think he needs to do that every time. No problem winning against the best in the world by only 2-3 lengths.

zippyneedsawin · #7 04-02-2007, 12:30 PM

Jara won, but not well enough... sheesh..

Linny · #8 04-02-2007, 12:33 PM

Even if you are on Invasor, you need to know where DC is at all times. let's say DC is not suffering from a sore throat and Frankie has him rolling from off the pace. Fernando doesn't look back, figures he can beat Premium Tap any time and doesn't step on the gas. At the halfway point of the stretch (1 1/2f out) Frankie sails on by with Invasor dozing. How's Hamdan feel now?
Fernando had no idea that Discreet Cat had nothing in the tank turning for home. He doesn't want Invasor to get to the front and goof off, allowing him to get caught should anyone be mounting a rally. With as good a horse as DC someplace back there, possibly mounting a rally Jara simply has to take stock of the race setting up behind him.

ArlJim78 · #9 04-02-2007, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linny

Even if you are on Invasor, you need to know where DC is at all times. let's say DC is not suffering from a sore throat and Frankie has him rolling from off the pace. Fernando doesn't look back, figures he can beat Premium Tap any time and doesn't step on the gas. At the halfway point of the stretch (1 1/2f out) Frankie sails on by with Invasor dozing. How's Hamdan feel now?
Fernando had no idea that Discreet Cat had nothing in the tank turning for home. He doesn't want Invasor to get to the front and goof off, allowing him to get caught should anyone be mounting a rally. With as good a horse as DC someplace back there, possibly mounting a rally Jara simply has to take stock of the race setting up behind him.

Those are my exact thoughts, when i saw him glance back I assumed he was just trying to see if he was going to be challenged from behind by Discreet Cat. I do not believe it was one of those look backs that some jockeys do in order to show off. He had to be curious as to what was going on with DC, so a quick glance back in order to size up the task at hand seems prudent.

ALostTexan · #10 04-02-2007, 12:55 PM

I cannot fault him for the ride, or any other ride on Invasor to this point.

These statements about how Jara did not have to step on the horse are perhaps why he continues to win, as he never takes all the horse has to offer, so he has yet to significantly bounce.

I totally agree, why take an all-out effort from a horse when you don't need to? He continues to win, and if it is not as impressively as the Sheiks want, sorry.

Winning is one thing, and if they want to win and look as good as possible, find another jockey...

ALostTexan

boswd · #11 04-02-2007, 01:00 PM

This is the type of second guessing that could screw up this streak. Jara could all of a sudden become overly cautious on how he rides him and who knows. When you are winning everything in site, don't fix what's not broken.

Rupert Pupkin · #12 04-02-2007, 01:03 PM

That is incredible. That Sheikh is completely clueless. He has no understanding of horseracing whatsoever. Jara rode the horse perfectly. You never want to move too early and you don't want to ask a horse if you don't have to. In addition, when there is a horse in front of you that you think you can go by at any time, you want to look back and see if anyone else is coming.

The Sheikh Hamdan is so off-base it is incredible. I don't think you would have ever heard Sheikh Muhammad say something like that. I think Sheikh Muhammad has a little better understanding of racing than that.

Seattleallstar · #13 04-02-2007, 01:05 PM

those darn Arabs never cease to amaze me, thats why DC cat lost and numerous others have lost. Next thing you will hear is that they are gonna pay Jerry Bailey 100k to come out of retirement to ride Invasor

Linny · #14 04-02-2007, 01:13 PM

Agree. One thing I like to see is a jock leave some gas in the tank. Many times winning by 10 when one length is fine ends up getting you beat next time.
Sounds like a big ego that wants to see his horse win by 25 lengths. It's unnesessary.

Grits · #15 04-02-2007, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linny

Even if you are on Invasor, you need to know where DC is at all times. let's say DC is not suffering from a sore throat and Frankie has him rolling from off the pace. Fernando doesn't look back, figures he can beat Premium Tap any time and doesn't step on the gas.

But, Linny, THIS did not happen. Fernando does know the horse. And Frankie, of course, had no horse in this particular event. He did not fire.

Quote:

At the halfway point of the stretch (1 1/2f out) Frankie sails on by with Invasor dozing.

Again, this did not happen. Invasor was his usual game self!

Quote:

How's Hamdan feel now? Fernando had no idea that Discreet Cat had nothing in the tank turning for home. He doesn't want Invasor to get to the front and goof off, allowing him to get caught should anyone be mounting a rally. With as good a horse as DC someplace back there, possibly mounting a rally Jara simply has to take stock of the race setting up behind him.

And I do not see that Jara has failed to do so, as of yet. This premiere SIX MILLION dollar race is OVER. This race was run exceptionally well, and the mistake made here is not by his jockey, Fernando Jara, not at all. There was no mistake made here but the one made by the spoiled rich dude from the desert that thinks Jara could have made a better grandstand showing of pushing his horse harder to get more air between the rest of the field.

The oil rich Arabian dressing down a 19 year old young man. All for WHAT?

Jim you were correct in your summation in your first post.

I get discouraged when fans offer up the what-ifs and other scenarios to jockeys, when the race has been run-- most especially when they've done their jobs and done them quite well.

I know that you know racing and pace, but the Arab's comments are wrong, he showed no grace, and that's unfortunate.

Let the Arab ride Invasor next time, but then that'd be a bust 'cause he couldn't ride a hog thru a phone booth.