Wiremu Pinn!!!

[Thomass]

How good is this bloke going now?

Had a rest at the right time from big red's pressurised environment realising he couldn't handle the jandel...

Got someone preggers...and that sure as hell focuses the mind if you're a good human being .....

Sees a councillor to keep him the mind in good shape...then employs a Sports Psychologist to give him an edge!!

How good is that!  Riding well again and no wonder...

The only prob is being based in Methametha...as long as he stays away from those losers and focused, this kid from the bad streets of Sth Auckland should keep providing only good news.

 

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Thomass said:

Sees a councillor to keep him the mind in good shape

Was that a Taranaki District Councillor?

 

[Thomass]

Anal auto spelling correct route!

[SLB2.0]

His last two rides on Capital Gains have me scratching my head about this jockey.

Last start was a shocker, but he has outdone himself on the same horse today.

What are his stats like since resuming?

[nomates]

13 minutes ago, SLB2.0 said:

His last two rides on Capital Gains have me scratching my head about this jockey.

Last start was a shocker, but he has outdone himself on the same horse today.

What are his stats like since resuming?

Have to say i have seen him put in some head scratchers , almost like he's forgotten what he there for . But he's not alone in that department .

[Joe Bloggs]

1 hour ago, nomates said:

Have to say i have seen him put in some head scratchers , almost like he's forgotten what he there for . But he's not alone in that department .

Classic.

[Guest CrossCodes]

4 hours ago, SLB2.0 said:

His last two rides on Capital Gains have me scratching my head about this jockey.

Last start was a shocker, but he has outdone himself on the same horse today.

What are his stats like since resuming?

That ride on that horse today was just incompetent, but like someone else said the standard of riding at the moment is dropping like a stone.

The likes of Leah Hemi, Kate Hercock, Wiremu Pinn, have a look at their rides today and they rode like they had never sat on a horse before. 

Out top few riders in the country are very good, but after that it drops away badly.

[Freda]

I agree....although its not an easy job by any means, and it's also very easy to be critical from the safety of one's sofa in front of the TV.

Clearly,  despite all the warm fuzzies about our apprentice mentors, something is very lacking in the tuition system.

Kevin Gray has had a long history of turning out top riders,  Allan Sharrock now although many of today's youngsters probably would struggle with the discipline. 

I can't think of too many others that reflect a good ' system '  at the expense of the old fashioned regime - the boss.

Opie ( Autridge)  had a good grounding from a good tutor, and  the Collett/Grylls/ Johnson youngsters had great family connections.

Overseas jurisdictions are leaving us in the dust...again.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Freda

[Joe Bloggs]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

I agree....although its not an easy job by any means, and it's also very easy to be critical from the safety of one's sofa in front of the TV.

Clearly,  despite all the warm fuzzies about our apprentice mentors, something is very lacking in the tuition system.

Kevin Gray has had a long history of turning out top riders,  Allan Sharrock now although many of today's youngsters probably would struggle with the discipline. 

I can't think of too many others that reflect a good ' system '  at the expense of the old fashioned regime - the boss.

Opie ( Autridge)  had a good grounding from a good tutor, and  the Collett/Grylls/ Johnson youngsters had great family connections.

Overseas jurisdictions are leaving us in the dust...again.

Freda, we've got beaut apprentices scattered all over Oz, IMO it's because of the country racing system and the Non Tabs in many instances, nursery's for both rider and horse.

Their ability is realised and they are nurtured, I've long mooted the school  is the starting point, the academy in VIC is working and that's a benchmark. NZ needs to copy and paste, Saundry if he was interested should insist that all NZ apprentices need strong and disciplined tuition......with rewards, wheat from the chaff and let those not suited find another career path.

Cruel to be kind, no, I don't think it is, it's going to be better for everyone long term and the riding ranks in NZ will get stronger.

Having said that, the racing wouldn't inspire many young people would it? it needs to lift it's game, but that needs direction and professionalism from the top........they don't cut the mustard, so it's a conga line heading south, a lot of the up and comers will end up here, and they are welcome, but it shouldn't come to that, they should have the sanctity of a good, sound racing industry, I so hope that it can save itself as the boffins can't, sad fact.

[Chief Stipe]

9 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said:

Freda, we've got beaut apprentices scattered all over Oz, IMO it's because of the country racing system and the Non Tabs in many instances, nursery's for both rider and horse.

That's not what Ron Quinton is saying as quoted a few days ago on Racenet.

He said the next batch of Jockey's in NSW/Sydney is NOT coming through.  Blamed many of the problems we seem to have in NZ.

[Freda]

I've been out of the loop wrt apprentice training for a good while now, I know they are supposed to go to fortnightly apprentice school but what exactly that involves I don't know.

But the daughter of one Otago trainer had been working in Aus ( before Covid) and had indicated that she might try for an apprenticeship over there, but would probably come home as it was so hard to even get accepted to start the process.

And, as you say, what incentive to even want to be part of the industry?

That said, that doesn't excuse the moronic lot we have now that are well past apprentice stage.

[Freda]

And a thought - not that I wish to harp on a much thrashed topic - one of the reasons given for refusing Hokitika a race day was that the track went the wrong way and was too tight and riders weren't coping.

Thats a sad admission.  

Ffs, it had existed in its current forn for a hundred years!

[Joe Bloggs]

10 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

That's not what Ron Quinton is saying as quoted a few days ago on Racenet.

He said the next batch of Jockey's in NSW/Sydney is NOT coming through.  Blamed many of the problems we seem to have in NZ.

Ron may've had a few 'butchered' recently, but Louise Day for one is doing terrific, it's hard in SYD as the pool is very closeted, even the former 'Gun' jock Glyn Schofield has to go to the SAT provincials. They don't claim like they used to Waller runs his around with 60kg and doesn't bother using apprentices and he's not Robinson Crusoe. BNE and MEL are the opposite, ADL too, the kids are getting real chances..........we need a lot more coming through the system, the hours are the deterrent not the money.

[Chief Stipe]

We’re not producing the next batch of riders: Quinton

Tommy Berry was in superb form with a winning treble, including Bandersnatch.

Article Author

Matt Jones8:45PM24 January 2021

19 Comments

What will the Sydney jockey’s room look like in 10 or 20 years’ time?

There’s no doubt that it’s the best in the country in terms of quality and depth.

Glen Boss recently said eight of the best 10 jockeys in the country were based in Sydney.

But will the depth be there forever?

Hall of Famer Ron Quinton knows better than anyone how things are shaping up and says the next good batch country apprentices aren’t quite there at the moment.

“They’re getting harder to find,” Quinton said.

“Years ago we used to get a lot of country kids like I was and Darren Beadman and more recently Hugh Bowman and Andrew Adkins and that’s not happening now.

“We’re not getting people out of the pony club these days because the pony club circuit has diminished quite dramatically in the country.

“We used to get a lot of kids coming out of there. Our TAFE system isn’t producing enough people either so it is a problem.”

Trainer Ron Quinton thinks investment in an apprentice academy would go a long way to ensuring the depth in the jockey’s ranks.

 

Quinton has mentored some of the best apprentices that went on to be top senior riders such as Hugh Bowman, Mitch Newman, Andrew Adkins, Mitchell Bell and Sam Clipperton who was the only one not to come from the country.

“I think Hughie had ridden 100 winners before came to town and that give him a good grounding,” Quinton said.

Quinton thinks investment in an apprentice academy would go a long way to ensuring the depth in the jockey’s ranks for generation after generation.

The South African Jockey Academy was ahead of the times, establishing its program in 1958.

“I realise the cost factor of that would be enormous but South Africa have had one for a long time and they produce great riders,” he said.

“Glyn Schofield and Jeff Lloyd and blokes like Robbie Fradd came through that system and it really works.

“It’s stood the test of time. I visited the academy in South Africa when I was riding a long time ago.”

Quinton also said had racing not had such an influx of female riders and staff in recent years the sport would “be in Struggle Street”.

 

Quinton says fortunately an influx of female riders and staff in recent years had managed to keep racing afloat.

 

 

In decades to come the Sydney jockey room might look as British and Irish as it does Australian.

Rachel King, Tom Sherry, Robbie Dolan and Louise Day are just some of the international hoops that have come down under and made an impression.

And they’re here to stay.

Dolan told this column months ago that he doesn’t miss the cold mornings with a shovel in had at the freezing Irish stables.

“Mark Newnham has a few Irish boys and they’ve been a great asset. They’re willing workers those kids and have come from a tough environment,” Quinton said.

“They’re coming here to make a small fortune.

“They’d be mad if they didn’t come down here because of the prizemoney and why wouldn’t they do it because they (apprentices) don’t have as much competition here.”

Sherry ran second on Icebath in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle last spring and said he would’ve made more money from that ride than he would have in a year in Ireland.

[Joe Bloggs]

Covid19 worked in the favour of some, I don't know why Tom Sherry or Robbie Dolan would ever think of going back, Louise has been here for some time but the riding scene here has so many foreign born riders it's remarkable. The Kiwi's have always been here, but journeymen jocks like Billy Cray from UK who rides in the country are earning treble what they would back home.......can you see James M ever going back to NZ? Young A Collet is getting heaps of rides now and her riding has gone ahead leaps and bounds.

Pony club is thriving here in QLD, we have one just around the corner, will those kids want to go on and become jockeys? bloody hope so.

[Thomass]

Billy may have a touch of the yipps at the mo..

Found guilty of not giving 'reasonable and permissible' chance to Hail Damage on 2 Jan...out for 9 days after this week....

Last month when riding one of Bob Vance's at HQ, ran into the backend of a couple...cert beat...then gave up after freezing up..only reprimanded

Hes got a kid to think of now as well...gone are the throwing caution to the wind days..

[Freda]

Was it him that tried to go around the loose horse that ran off at Ellerslie MM night?

Didn't show much nouse there either.

[Chief Stipe]

2 minutes ago, Freda said:

Was it him that tried to go around the loose horse that ran off at Ellerslie MM night?

Didn't show much nouse there either.

Yep it was him.  Tannahill is not a bad animal either and would have been in the finish but for that misjudgment.  But in his defence he either had the choice of waiting and hoping that the riderless horse ran out (as they normally do) or go round.  I'm not a rider but if you are going to go round then you have to commit to that and make sure you aggressively prevent the riderless horse from running out.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

Was it him that tried to go around the loose horse that ran off at Ellerslie MM night?

Didn't show much nouse there either.

My first thought was " he's shitting himself " , he looked lost on what to do , no need for him to do that , if he had sat he would have been fine . Having seen him ride a couple where he looked a bit shy in tight room i think he's better off doing something else .

[Chief Stipe]

16 minutes ago, nomates said:

Having seen him ride a couple where he looked a bit shy in tight room i think he's better off doing something else .

I disagree.  He looks to have great hands and he sits really tidy on a horse.  Just lacking experience.  I bit like a young car driver who has never been taught to slide around on the beach or a paddock and shits themselves when they hit the loose gravel on the side of the tar sealed road!

Hell Lisa Allpress when she was a Mumby wasn't too brave either!

He is a Jockey who would gain a lot of confidence from riding at Hokitika or Omoto!  Probably Opie or Lethal yells at him in a race and he shits himself!

The Skelton boys were like my old man if they weren't trying to scare the Night Cart horse they were riding bareback down on a West Coast beach. They learnt what you could or couldn't do with a horse.  Dad told me stories of "I was so poor that I had to make a bridle out of bailing twine and my first saddle was a potato sack tied on with twine and two holes on each side for stirrups!"  I doubt Wiremu has ever galloped a horse bareback!  Probably some H & S rule stopping it!

I doubt young kids do what Freda did and race for who pays for the icecreams! 

[CustardSquare]

I was fortunate enough to go through the Vic Riding Academy.

The school was second to none, we had fantastic mentors inc. Rob Gaylard helping with interviewing and speeches, Alf Mathews with form analysis and he took us out walking the tracks etc etc.

The mechanical horses were hooked up to VR and they could make them "hang" with a push of the button, slow down or speed up in the middle of a race.

We went through race analysis thoroughly, not just our winning rides, also looked at a lot of senior rides the good and bad.

We learn't about the technical side of things - how to read form, weather, winds affecting the race patterns, rail positions, how many lengths in a second, tempo of races - staying and sprinting.

We had a sports psychiatrist come in whom we could chat to one on one, because race riding is as much mental fitness as it is physical.

 

I bought back ideas to the apprentice school here, including having to trial in raceday gear before riding raceday, giving you one less thing to worry about - they wanted none of it, said Australia was just "Too fussy" and "We don't do that here in NZ"

Unfortunately, I only wanted to help improve our young riders.

[Chief Stipe]

Actually that reminds me of a story!  I've told it before but...

We had a work Social Club gathering where we did a Wine Trail in North Canterbury on horseback.  The horses were Molesworth Brumbies of all different sizes and fitness.  The horses were allocated on the basis of rider size, experience and ability.  I lied!  I didn't get the horse that looked like a 16 1/2 hand Thoroughbred who was moonlighting in between racedays but the next level down - a classic mixed bred brumby of average height and solid fitness.

The trail was a progressive Dinner over about 5 vineyards.  Appetizers at the first (drink some wine), Entree at the second (try some more wine), Dinner at the third (have some beer), Dessert, by the time we got to the last course of cheese and biscuits we were all a bit over the limit.  Anyway we were walking the horses through the actual vineyard and we got to the end of a long line of grape vines and the owner of the business said "Right everyone choose a lane and we are going to race each other to the end".....  On your marks and the starters flag (handkerchief) was dropped.  Off we went.  

I'd never really truly galloped a horse before with my only previous experience on a horse was bare back on a wide barrelled mare (called Creamy) herding Hereford cattle out of the South Westland bush during my summer holidays!  Mmmm that gallop (only a fast canter really) was easy.  My girlfriend was on the Thoroughbred and had easily won the race so I was a bit pissed (more ways than one!).  

So the owner says "Right we have to go back the other way to get home so let's line up and do it again!"  My horse was Blue and he was sharp and I'm sure he had me susssed.  I was confident this time and so was he.  So off we go - I'm up off the saddle, head down, knees bent crouching in the stirrups like I've seen Billy Skelton do.  YES I hit the lead just before the end of the lane stand up with a flourish that Frankie Dettori would have been proud of! 

Oh F$%K!  That's a 6 wire fence looming up in front of me!  Blue had seen it well before I did!  He just turned on a dime and came to a halt instantly.  Of course my body is still heading in original direction!  To this day I don't know how that horse stopped and turned so quickly nor how I stayed on.  From that point on I had a different perspective of what these wonderful animals can do!

[Chief Stipe]

8 minutes ago, CustardSquare said:

I bought back ideas to the apprentice school here, including having to trial in raceday gear before riding raceday, giving you one less thing to worry about - they wanted none of it, said Australia was just "Too fussy" and "We don't do that here in NZ"

That's the very reason I get really really pissed off when I see NZTR spending north of $2m+ on a new computer system!

[Joe Bloggs]

51 minutes ago, CustardSquare said:

I was fortunate enough to go through the Vic Riding Academy.

The school was second to none, we had fantastic mentors inc. Rob Gaylard helping with interviewing and speeches, Alf Mathews with form analysis and he took us out walking the tracks etc etc.

The mechanical horses were hooked up to VR and they could make them "hang" with a push of the button, slow down or speed up in the middle of a race.

We went through race analysis thoroughly, not just our winning rides, also looked at a lot of senior rides the good and bad.

We learn't about the technical side of things - how to read form, weather, winds affecting the race patterns, rail positions, how many lengths in a second, tempo of races - staying and sprinting.

We had a sports psychiatrist come in whom we could chat to one on one, because race riding is as much mental fitness as it is physical.

 

I bought back ideas to the apprentice school here, including having to trial in raceday gear before riding raceday, giving you one less thing to worry about - they wanted none of it, said Australia was just "Too fussy" and "We don't do that here in NZ"

Unfortunately, I only wanted to help improve our young riders.

Bugger, you should still be here, Saundry's got it nailed over there, he was too good for Victoria, he needed a challenge!

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

I disagree.  He looks to have great hands and he sits really tidy on a horse.  Just lacking experience.  I bit like a young car driver who has never been taught to slide around on the beach or a paddock and shits themselves when they hit the loose gravel on the side of the tar sealed road!

 

He's like a lot of the younger generation , want it all and want it easy . He was at a great stable for apprentices , couldn't cop the hard work or the verbal knocks from the boss when he made a cockup . A huge talent in the saddle , but talent isn't enough , you need steel . Lisa Allpress always had it in spades , this kid and many others haven't .

Left Sharrock , too tough , bummed around , realized the money was better in the saddle , but signs up with a mate , a young trainer on the up , but do you reckon he grinds Pinn's arse when he makes a f*^kup or can't be bothered doing his share of the work , not likely .

I know other kids in the game with the same poor attitude , know it all , don't want to be told . It's the same in other sports , you hear rugby , rugby league and football coaches saying " you can't get up this generation , it's more the arm around the shoulder with sweet words in their ears " .

I don't know about you but when your young there is no fear , shit the things i used to do , i can't believe i did some of it and survived .

The problem , as is being highlighted , is there isn't enough riders , young and old , creating competition and forcing riders to up their game , they make a good enough living by cruising .