Jockey Angle with Paddy Flood: 'What John does here is very very shrewd' Paddy Flood looks back on a ‘clever and mature’ winning ride from jockey John Gleeson aboard Lola O C, who was making her racecourse debut in a Bumper at Roscommon on August 4th. On the latest episode of ‘The Jockey Angle’, ex-jockey Flood, explains why making use of the big screen mid-race can make all the difference between a winning and losing ride. Race replays are FREE to watch from all Irish tracks and a selection of premier British tracks sponsored by William Hill. Paddy Flood’s Analysis What John does here is very, very shrewd, and I think it could have been the winning or losing of the race. As he goes past the stands, he can’t see much in front of him, so he looks up at the big screen and takes a really long look at it. I think that is a brilliant piece of riding because it gives him the information he needs. He can see where everybody is and realise that he is only about three or four lengths off the pace. As they go down the back straight, he understands that he is not far behind the leaders. He is travelling very well, and if he had not known how far off them he was at that stage, he might have rushed into the race. Instead, he remains very patient on Lola O C who, by the way, looks a useful mare. Because he took that look at the screen, he knew exactly what was happening in front of him. He stayed out of the hustle and bustle and let the others get on with it. Watch the Full Analysis and replay of Gleeson’s smart ride For me, it was a very mature and clever piece of riding. It allowed him to conserve energy, take a breather himself, and know exactly what was happening around him. The filly finished her race really well, and I think it all came from John having the brain and the calmness to think, “There’s a big screen there; I might as well use it.” It may seem like a small thing, but it shows excellent spatial awareness. If you’re stuck on the outside like that, it’s abnormal for a jockey. I thought John was innovative to look across at the screen, assess what was happening, and use that information to his advantage. Top marks to John Gleeson. I think it may well have won him the race.
