“Don’t do a Ryan Moore” - Jockey mocks world's No.1 rider after Australia issue

29 September 2023 , 15:10

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Ryan Moore: the world's top jockey is famously reticent with the media (Image: Getty Images)

A stellar 2023 has helped Ryan Moore re-establish himself as the world’s No.1 jockey this year.

When he is not fulfilling commitments for the Coolmore partners and Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable, his services are sought after by owners and trainers across the globe. Last weekend Moore answered a call from Australia’s top trainer Chris Waller to fly to Sydney to ride four horses, including the Coolmore-owned Shinzo in the Group 1 £500,000 Golden Rose Stakes at Sydney.

Shinzo finished ninth and Moore returned to Ireland, to ride at the Curragh the following day, without riding a winner Down Under. But it was also noted that the famously reticent rider did not contribute a single comment after any of the races he took part in.

The transcript from each of the feature races, provided by Racing NSW, contains verdicts from the riders of every runner but against Moore’s rides, it reads, “No comment offered.”

Among those to highlight the omissions, Brad Davidson, an analyst for Sky Racing in Australia, wrote on X, “‘No comment offered’ from Ryan Moore after all of his rides at Rosehill today in the beaten jockey comments.

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“I know he is shy but is a one line comment that much to ask from a sport that you make millions from?”

British racecourse commentator and Sky Sports Racing presenter Mike Cattermole replied: “Welcome to our world, Brad!”

According to Davidson the jockey comments are “probably the most read stories from races over here”.

But he got plenty of pushback from Moore fans who said the jockey’s first priority was to his employers. One said: “This is why we love Ryan. Cool, calm, collected and concentrating on his job.”

While Moore was riding at Newmarket on Friday, where he gave an interview to ITV Racing, his name came up again in Australia after one of the feature races.

Jockey Craig Williams was giving his response on camera after the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley when he turned to Mark Zahra as he passed behind him to tell him, “Don’t do a Ryan Moore please.”

Zahra did not follow his advice with a comment from the jockey "not available" in the post-race transcript.

Jon Lees