Listener puts wexford jockey jacob in limelight Jacob didn't even know it, but
the signs were ominous for thornton.When the local hunt met at robert alner's
stables last year, the hounds never even noticed when a fox darted through the
kitchen garden. On wednesday, after the same meet, alner returned to find
another one brazenly taking the winter sunshine in the adjacent field.Since all
that awkward legislation in england, the arrival of scarlet coats is obviously
the cue for thornton to feel persecuted instead. Last year, the yard's senior
jockey had just been"Jocked off"Kingscliff in favour of robert walford for the
king george and now he finds himself replaced on the listener by the promising
wexfordborn rider jacob a surname more synonymous with hurling in the model
county. In neither case did alner himself point the gun.But whereas kingscliff's
owner made a quixotic choice in walford, who has ridden 62 winners in five
seasons, jacob's promotion to ride the listener in the lexus chase represents a
natural next step for a young rider going places. Though fellow irishman tom
o'brien a cousin of trainer aidan o'brien remains a runaway leader, jacob is
second in the conditionals' table with 25 winners.Last month, the talented
youngster advertised his gifts with a joyous ride on i hear thunder trained by
another valued dorset patron in bob buckler over the grand national fences. Yet,
only last summer he was so dejected by an unproductive season away with paul
keane that he could see little future. "I wasn't enjoying it any more, and was
See
results about shoes halfthinking of giving up,"Jacob admitted yesterday.
"But i had a long juicy couture
accessories talk with robert and he was good enough to take me back, and
since then i've had a new lease of life. " Loquacious and engaging, jacob
evidently had some growing up to do when he arrived from wexford, but at 23, is
unmistakably blossoming. "Whatever he might be off a horse, on a horse he has a
brilliant racing brain,"Alner said. "He's on his way to the top, no question, he
has so much natural ability. juicy couture uk baby " His father is
a fisherman, his family had nothing at all to do with horses, but apparently he
got on to a pony when he was about seven and something just"Clicked".The
adolescent jacob was spotted hunting by jack murphy, a trainer of eventers, who
sent him to the apprentice school(Race)On the edge of the curragh. After some
early rides for champion hurdlewinning trainer dessie hughes, he started in
england with flat trainer richard hannon.But it was on the big chasers, trained
by alner and his wife sally, that jacob found his niche. With its random ditches
and hedges, the hunt is nature's steeplechase.Across the lost valleys of dorset,
jacob was in his element this week as might well be imagined from the way he
rode at aintree. "Looking at the best of the experienced riders, and talking
with them, you learn that it's not about asking for extravagant leaps all the
time,"He said. "It's about getting into a rhythm.A horse saves a lot of energy
that way.And with robert being such a horseman himself, i am learning every day
i ride here. " With its random ditches and hedges, the hunt is nature's
steeplechasea few mornings ago, jacob schooled the listener, the smashing grey
who gave weight and a beating to some of the best novices around at cheltenham
on new year's day but fell on both subsequent starts.He might well have beaten
star de mohaison on his reappearance at sandown, had thornton not yielded the
initiative to ruby walsh, but alner was delighted his priority had been met.The
horse was back on an upward curve. "The run brought him on a lot,"Alner said.
"Andrew gave him a lovely ride.The most important thing was a clear round.And
star de mohaison(Having had a previous outing over hurdles)Was obviously very
fit. "
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