3rd October 2006, 01:25 PM
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Member
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Join Date: Jan 1970
Posts: 4,415
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Ali has little to do with jockeys crash.
Boxers don't box into their 40's successfully, jockeys have been known to ride into their 50's.
Ali was a legend like him or hate him, but he didn't know when enough was enough.
Name one boxer who made a comeback at age and won just as many fights, not just one or two matches.
How many jockeys made a comeback and were as successful as Darren Beadman?
He does make mistakes, but he more than makes up for it.
Dittman was great in his hay day, but he didn't possess the judgement of Darren in my opinion, he was better in a close finish getting the most out of his horse, as you say "lifting" the horse over the line, Darren just judges his timing to perfection, so he doesn't have to "lift"
He knows what's in the tank and where and when to go based on what's left to nut the opposition on the line or streak away.
There is one other jockey who is an apprentice, who looks like he just might come close.
Your edited list also speaks volumes H White and R Higgins???
It's about achievements not necessarily consistent ability.
Where are M Clarke and G Childs and R J Skelton and B Thompson?
The difference between a good athlete and a champion is consistent skill, not necessarily top achievements.
To have two jockeys in the hall of fame known widely for "malpractice" shames the list.
You have the likes of R J Skelton who never achieved the heights of some others, but was consistently the best judge over distance.
He proved it time and time again. He had the inbuilt ability to time to perfection and more importantly rate the horse. He will never make the hall of fame, just because he never won a multitude of group one races, but his performance was amongst the very best.
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