With the racing season coming to a close, the good horses are nearing a return and with that, the door for 2024/25 will be properly shut. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, but in racing, they are heightened dramatically due to wagering interest.
Down below is what we feel are the 10 worst rides of 2024/25.
1: Hollie Doyle on Sea King Melbourne Cup: She’s a great rider in the UK, but if they stamped her papers to never return to Australia, or just the Melbourne Cup, I would be more than okay with that. This was clearly the worst ride of the year in the biggest race of the year. Stevie Wonder could see that the inside lanes were on fire and with Sea King drawing an inside gate, you would have thought he was in a sweet spot. But, the horse was tardy away and settled well back. Instead of sticking inside, the better ground, and saved ground, she elected to come widest on the turn, in the quicksand, and conceded many lengths in doing so. Horrible steer.
What did we just witness?! π€―
KNIGHT’S CHOICE holds on to win the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup!
π₯ @wwos | #MelbourneCup | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/Ok2GKUTm0I
β Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 5, 2024
2: Mark Zahra on Benagil Queensland Oaks: I can forgive The Roses ride, where it was a barrier trial, clearly. But can’t forgive this ride. It was bad. Really bad. He got into a really good spot in transit but instead of staying inside, where winners were coming from, Zahra elected to come wider, or probe anyway. Lost momentum and with that, lost the race, driving hard late. If he stays inside, the gaps appear and the filly wins comfortably.
Calling for the win! π²
You Wahng takes the G1 Queensland Oaks for @Leesracing and @TommyBerry21!@BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD pic.twitter.com/LCfWV2Yfof
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
3: Zac Lloyd on Territory Express Five Diamonds: The racing style of this horse means he needs more good luck than most horses. But, it wouldn’t have hurt with a half decent steer here. The horse was slow away so he was naturally back in the run. But the chance was there for Zac to angle wider and follow up, get a drag into the race. But, instead he stayed nearer the inside and was hoping for luck. If he got it, genius ride. But, he didn’t get it, and given there was a better option for him to take, this was a bad ride.
The $2 Million Five Diamonds belongs to Pericles! π@KPMcEvoy | @JamesCummings88 | @godolphin pic.twitter.com/7RDDz3v0hf
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 9, 2024
4: Colin Keane on Publish Sandown (UK): Well documented ride that got plenty of criticism. On face value, yes, ugly ride, but maybe a victim of circumstances? The head on suggested there was opportunities for him to get clear air and he didn’t take it. Green horses in front of him yes, but it was still a ride that lacked any real initiative.
This is going to be a strong race π
ππππ’ππ’ππ ππ’ππ« (Palace Pier) wins the @Tattersalls1766 Β£40,000 @BritishEBF Novice Stakes @Sandownpark for @the_doyler and @godolphin π΅
But could runner-up Publish be the key horse to take from the field? π€ pic.twitter.com/uJW5MjGHEa
β Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 4, 2025
5: Joao Moreira on Buckaroo Melbourne Cup: The ride wasn’t as bad as Hollie Doyle. But this wasn’t the best of steers from Moreira. In the sense that the horse was a query at two miles so ideally, he gets a drag into the race to get every chance to finish off. Instead, he tries to make a 700m sustained run from near last, right out wide, where it was quicksand…the run was enormous in defeat. But the ride was bad.
What did we just witness?! π€―
KNIGHT’S CHOICE holds on to win the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup!
π₯ @wwos | #MelbourneCup | #MelbCupCarnival pic.twitter.com/Ok2GKUTm0I
β Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 5, 2024
6: Blake Shinn on Hinged Angst Stakes: On paper, she looked so well placed. Well weighted, back to Mares grade and B Shinn on. The mare actually jumped well, and 99% of the time, Shinn continues to go forward. But for some reason, he dragged back on the mare and was forced quite wide on the turn, spotting those in front too much head start and couldn’t sustain the run. The effort in defeat was quite good but I thought the negative ride cost her dearly.
Lekvarte speeds away to take out the G3 Angst Stakes for @PrideRacing and Josh Parr! π¨@aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/95hsw6XZmd
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 19, 2024
7: James Orman on Yellow Brick Weetwood Handicap: Jimmy Orman is the best rider in Brisbane, by some distance. But the gap between his best and worst is just far too great and this was one of his worst for the year. From barrier four, he ended up three/four wide for the trip and just stayed there instead of going forward. The fact the horse got so close in defeat, the run was a beauty. Half decent ride and I am convinced the horse wins and wins well.
Toowoomba product @tonygollan broke a long Weetwood drought last year and now he owns TWO! Hidden Wealth shows sustained speed under Ange Jones to hold out locally-trained Yellow Brick. pic.twitter.com/kOCDvMVCpX
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 28, 2024
8: Declan Bates on Pride Of Jenni Cox Plate: Understandable that the way to ride Pride Of Jenni is roll along on speed. But this ride, seven days after a brutally run race at Randwick, was just madness and probably was the run that broke her heart. Went way too hard in front and gave her no chance of winning.
What a performance! Via Sistina lands the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley for @mcacajamez and @cwallerracing… pic.twitter.com/fQxl8QFces
β At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 26, 2024
9: James McDonald on Fangirl Winx Stakes: I think even J Mac admitted himself that he rode this girl a touch negative and it worked against her. Admittedly, Tropical Squall got front end control and walked in front, but even allowing for that, I thought J Mac could have got going earlier on the mare to get closer, be within range and finish over the top. But, he rode a touch too quiet and left the mare a big task, getting warm late to finish third.
Via Sistina wins the Winx Stakes! She’s in for a MASSIVE Spring π₯ @KPMcEvoy @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/WNpMfXcEAj
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 24, 2024
10: Beaten Riders in Northerly Stakes: The only positive ride won the race, so credit to Ethan Brown on Light Infantry Man. But gee whiz the rides in behind…did they realise it was a Group l and not a barrier trial? The race was over after 400m. Very ordinary steers in behind the winner.
Light Infantry Man wins the Northerly! @Brown_ethan8 produces a positive ride from the wide barrier and it proves the difference! @cmaherracing @PerthRacing pic.twitter.com/ybjr6tgpCf
β SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 7, 2024
