YOU quite often hear pundits describe jockeys as having ‘balls of steel’.
Well, Richard Patrick probably wishes that was literally the case after he partnered Fay Ce Que Voudras to an extremely uncomfortable win at Hereford.
Fay Ce Que Voudras made a bad blunder at the final hurdle at Hereford
Jockey Richard Patrick lost both of his irons shortly after losing his balance
He was forced to ride the horse bareback up the run-in
And he somehow pulled off a remarkable – if uncomfortable – win
The Welshman’s nether regions took a battering after he lost both of his stirrups when the horse made a blunder at the final hurdle.
But he somehow managed to stay aboard and ride the seven-year-old home in front – with many a punter wincing on his behalf up the run-in.
It was an incredible ride, but racing fans couldn’t help but giggle at poor Patrick’s expense.
Veteran commentator Derek Thompson praised his riding skills but also saw the funny side.
A sensational bit of riding & recovery by Richard Patrick for trainer Kerry Lee in the 3.40 @HerefordRaces this afternoon, but I bet he’ll be reaching the high notes in the choir this evening
pic.twitter.com/U3Joxlokv1
— Derek ‘Tommo’ Thompson (@tommoracing) January 16, 2023
He Tweeted: “A sensational bit of riding & recovery by Richard Patrick for trainer Kerry Lee in the 3.40 at Hereford.
“But I bet he’ll be reaching the high notes in the choir this evening!”
And plenty of racing fans found the incident hilarious, too.
One said: “Incredible ride with no irons and win with “the balls” crushed, hats off!”
Another posted: “It’s all a bit John Wayne but what an amazing ride.”
While another joked: “I don’t think he will be able to walk straight for a few days but what a ride.”
Patrick might have been feeling sore afterwards, but he played it cool in the post-race TV interview on Sky Sports.
He said: “I was trying to get a bit of company going down to the last, but she had such a good look around and ploughed through it. Thankfully I stayed on!
“I tried to shift my weight to stay on and nearly went out the other way, but luckily we managed to get the job done.”
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.sportingexcitement.com/horse-racing/poster-boy-jockey-tommy-berry-banned-for-a-year-over-shocking-betting-scandal/
