'Retained jockeys are out of fashion - they're for an owner, not a trainer' - a timeline of John Gosden quotes on Kieran Shoemark

Following the news that John Gosden will now use the 'best available' rider after Kieran Shoemark's defeat on Field Of Gold, we look back at some of the key quotes from the leading trainer about his jockey situation . . .  

'We have no intention of having a retained jockey' - John Gosden plays down Kieran Shoemark rumours after Soul Sister booking 

July 11, 2023

"Kieran has ridden a few for us and he knows Longchamp well, it’s as simple as that. He’s ridden Soul Sister in work, which is something we needed to get in place as soon as we knew Frankie was unable to be there in Paris on Friday. 

"Someone asked me the other day if I would be retaining a jockey next year but I haven’t retained a jockey since William Buick left to go to Godolphin and before that Frankie in the 1990s. Retained jockeys are out of fashion right now. They're for an owner, not a trainer."

Dubai World Cup rides set to be pivotal in new partnership between Kieran Shoemark and Gosden stable

March 27, 2024

"Yes they are [when asked if Shoemark's Dubai World Cup rides would be significant in cementing the partnership].

"William Buick came over and won on Dar Re Mi in the Sheema Classic here when they opened Meydan, so it does [help]."

'He hasn't had the rub of the green' - Gosden backs Shoemark after Thoroughbred Stakes win

August 2, 2024 

"There are seven jockeys retained by owners in the stable, so to that extent it does limit what horses Kieran can ride. We had two winners at Royal Ascot, both partnered by retained jockeys, so he couldn't have ridden them if he wanted to. 

"With some of them, he hasn't had the rub of the green, while sometimes the horses have been slow to come to themselves, which is normal, but we're still only just halfway through the year, so there's a long way to go."

'There's been no jockey error' - Gosden defends Shoemark as Ryan Moore takes over on Inspiral

August 8, 2024

"As stated by Chris Richardson of Cheveley Park Stud, Ryan Moore will ride Inspiral in Deauville on Sunday. Ryan, along with Frankie Dettori, is the greatest international jockey in the world and regularly rides for Cheveley Park when available. 

"In her first race this year, Inspiral had not run for six months and the cold spring held her back. She very much needed the race. She then ran at Royal Ascot where the ferocious pace in the Prince of Wales's over the stiff mile and a quarter proved too much for her stamina.

"As previously publicly stated by me, there was no jockey error in either ride."

'We ran out of racetrack' - Gosden philosophical after Field Of Gold is denied in 2,000 Guineas

 May 3, 2025

"The race wasn't probably run in the fractions of the Craven Stakes and we were sat some way back. The winner has kicked and gone and we ran out of racetrack. Given another 25 yards the race would have been ours.

"You'll probably find he's run a better race than he did in the trial but a trial is a trial. When this track gets fast like this it can ride slick with a crosstail wind and they can get away from you. It just got away from us, I'm afraid, as we came into the Dip from where he was clawing the ground back. 

"I could see it was lost going into the Dip as we were just too far back and the winner got first run.

"We'll talk with the family about where we go next but I think you're looking at a St James's Palace Stakes after that."

Gosdens to use 'best available' rider following Kieran Shoemark's defeat on Field Of Gold

May 7, 2025

"Nothing much is going to change. We are looking to use the best available from now on. We have eight jockeys that are retained to ride for owners connected with the yard and I haven't had a retained jockey since William Buick.

"There is no fallout but it is the ramifications of what happened over the weekend. We'll now use the best available. Kieran is riding for us in the Cheshire Oaks today and he'll be riding for us in the Musidora at York next week."

Read these next:

John and Thady Gosden to use 'best available' rider following Kieran Shoemark's defeat on Field Of Gold

'He’s shown just how good he is' - Ruling Court gives Godolphin a third 2,000 Guineas in four years as Field Of Gold comes up short 

John Gosden philosophical after Field Of Gold is denied in 2,000 Guineas - plus our expert gives his view 

John Gosden sees a second 2,000 Guineas get away as Kieran Shoemark runs out of racecourse on Field Of Gold 

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