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High praise from timeform.
On the same weekend when disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong was reportedly on the verge of finally confessing to his doping past, the rescheduled Welsh National on Saturday provided a timely reminder that excellence in sport can still be the result of God-given talent alone, writes jumps handicapper Phil Turner.
Paul Carberry has always had a surfeit of natural ability and rolled back the years with a stunning display aboard Monbeg Dude (c139) to land the Chepstow showpiece, showing unerring confidence under a very patient ride before pouncing at the last to defeat the well-backed home favourite (and Timeform top-rated!) Teaforthree (c155).
Saturday's win was hardly an isolated incident either, as Carberry produced similarly peerless displays in the saddle to conjure career-best efforts from the quirky pair Frenchman's Creek and Bellvano when winning valuable handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002 and 2012 respectively.
The superlatives, of course, were rolled out after all three of these big-race wins. Carberry's efforts weren't just visually impressive, though, as the numbers fully back them up, with significant improvement shown by the winning horse in each instance.
Horses, of course, do most of the work in winning (or losing) races, but there is no doubt that good jockeyship can make a vital difference on occasions, particularly so when dealing with National Hunt racing. Ascertaining which jockeys can be relied upon to get the maximum out of their mounts will hopefully no longer be the preserve of armchair experts, as Timeform's computer boffins are developing a program (due for release later in 2013) which will provide jockey ratings as an extra guide for punters.
Paul Carberry has always had a surfeit of natural ability and rolled back the years with a stunning display aboard Monbeg Dude (c139) to land the Chepstow showpiece, showing unerring confidence under a very patient ride before pouncing at the last to defeat the well-backed home favourite (and Timeform top-rated!) Teaforthree (c155).
Saturday's win was hardly an isolated incident either, as Carberry produced similarly peerless displays in the saddle to conjure career-best efforts from the quirky pair Frenchman's Creek and Bellvano when winning valuable handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival in 2002 and 2012 respectively.
The superlatives, of course, were rolled out after all three of these big-race wins. Carberry's efforts weren't just visually impressive, though, as the numbers fully back them up, with significant improvement shown by the winning horse in each instance.
Horses, of course, do most of the work in winning (or losing) races, but there is no doubt that good jockeyship can make a vital difference on occasions, particularly so when dealing with National Hunt racing. Ascertaining which jockeys can be relied upon to get the maximum out of their mounts will hopefully no longer be the preserve of armchair experts, as Timeform's computer boffins are developing a program (due for release later in 2013) which will provide jockey ratings as an extra guide for punters.
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