Racing
Ryan Moore deserves more respect from the media
Ryan Moore is unquestionably one of the world’s finest Jockeys. Such a statement is a double-edged sword, however, and Moore receives serious scrutiny on a regular basis from punters, bookies and the racing media.
If Ryan Moore is beaten, especially in a race he was expected to win, the integrity and capabilities are placed under the microscope for the much sought-after position he holds within the Ballydoyle operation. Ask yourself how many times you have heard that they have sacked him after he has been beaten? It is utterly unfair and completely wrong.
Any sportsman at the top of their profession is susceptible to taking some criticism for their performances, and rightfully so, but not to the extent of which Moore gets condemned. The racing media are incredibly quick to bad-mouth his beaten rides, yet constantly overlook his brilliance in the saddle. More often than not he wins where others would have got beaten, a point which is ignored.
Ryan Moore doesn’t give too much away in post-race interviews, typically he just gazes slightly uncomfortably whilst giving one sentence responses which are very much to the point. He isn’t a showman, or a media darling in the same vein as a Frankie Dettori, and at this stage of his career that will not change. However, is it fair that he be punished for that? Races are won by the performance of the horse and the tactics of the jockey, not personalities, and they always will be.
Punters can be enormously fickle beings and are constantly looking for someone to blame when selections are beaten. Indeed, the rise of social media has led to an unfortunate increase in abuse directed towards jockeys when a horse gets beaten usually before the circumstances are even known.
Ninety percent of the time a jockey is not at fault for a horse getting beaten nonetheless but that doesn’t prevent a certain element of the gambling community directed vitriolic comments at the riders. Ryan Moore tends to high on the list for maltreatment, which is completely wide off the mark. Believe it or not, Moore is only human too.
Ryan Moore hasn’t associated himself with an unnamed but leading racing paper since 2015 because of an article they allegedly wrote, stating his minor injury would keep him out of action for the rest of the season. It was a statement which was incorrect. Moore claimed that article cost him numerous rides around the globe that season, the careless words directly impacting his living.
Instead of looking for the negatives in racing, we should be celebrating seeing one of the very best jockeys in the world riding in the UK and Ireland on a day-to-day basis. In years to come it’s almost certain that Ryan Moore will go down as one of the greatest jockeys of our generation, so sit back and embrace the Moore magic in the saddle while we still have him, in all his brilliance.
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