Don't miss Oisin Murphy's latest Sporting Life column
Don't miss Oisin Murphy's latest Sporting Life column

Oisin Murphy Champion Jockey weekly column: Starman blows my mind


Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy reflects on the superb York success of Starman before talking us through his Saturday rides and more in this week’s column.


SATURDAY RIDES

DAIRERIN – 1.15 Newbury

He won at Ripon on debut and he’s a lovely horse, I’ve ridden him at home in his work. He’s owned by a friend of mine and it would be great if he could run well here before having a tilt at Royal Ascot.

TACTICAL – 1.50 Newbury

After winning the Free Handicap at Newmarket over seven furlongs last time options were kind of limited for him, so he drops back in trip on Saturday for the Listed BetVictor Carnarvon Stakes. I respect Creative Force who is very progressive and it looks a competitive race. Tactical will probably go off favourite, though, and I rode him in work on the grass on Wednesday morning, five furlongs on the far hedge, and he felt in good form. Seven is probably his ideal trip, but he’s versatile enough to drop back without it being an issue.

RANCH HAND – 2.25 Newbury

Frankie Dettori rode Logician in work on Sunday morning ahead of the Al Rayyan Stakes and my word, that must be saying something getting him out of bed on a Sunday when there’s no racing! He’s obviously a threat and Jim Crowley thinks the world of Al Aasy, but I ride RANCH HAND for Andrew. He’s coming back in trip but there wasn’t really anywhere to go with him. He’s done so well from last year to this year, but obviously he’s won his two races this year over two miles on the all-weather. He’s very straightforward and I’m looking forward to riding him.

LADY BOWTHORPE – 3.35 Newbury

I ride LADY BOWTHORPE in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes and she was very good at Newmarket last time, she obviously likes being held up off a strong pace. This is clearly a very hot race for her, but she comes into it in good form. The one we all have to beat is Palace Pier, a fantastic horse who has been a standout miler over the last year and I was impressed by what he did at Sandown. He’s an odds-on favourite and probably deserves to be. It’s his race to lose.

TWISTED REALITY – 4.10 Newbury

She’s taken a little bit of time to come to herself this spring but she was very nice last year, she had her one run and won well. Slow ground is fine for her, she’s from a real staying family, her dam was a strong stayer, and she’s by Fastnet Rock who produced an Oaks winner in Qualify. Let’s hope she’s the real deal, I don’t know how good she is. This has been the target for while and if she comes through this we could well go to Epsom for the Oaks next.

KING OTTOKAR – 4.45 Newbury

In the closing BetVictor Handicap at Newbury I ride KING OTTOKAR for Charlie Fellowes. He’s come down the ratings a bit but does appreciate cut in the ground and it looks like he’ll get that on Saturday. He has good form from earlier in his career and he is back down in grade so hopefully he can go well.


Starman grand in Duke of York

Oisin Murphy on Starman
Oisin Murphy on Starman

It was fantastic to ride STARMAN to victory in the Group 2 Duke Of York Clipper Logistic Stakes at the Dante Festival on Wednesday.

He’s such a cool horse to ride. He walks around the paddock like he’s at home, he hacks down to the start and he’s just an absolute dude. He’s in the stalls like he’s asleep and then when they open he’s a push button ride.

He feels like a Group One horse and he beat those kind of horses on Wednesday – the July Cup winner was back in third. He’s only ever raced over six furlongs and I see no reason to move distance.

I was excited by what he did. He felt like a really good horse, he’s got loads of pace, he picks up, I was thrilled. Ed Walker’s talking Diamond Jubilee and he’s the ideal type, he just doesn’t want soft ground.


Ocean on the Road to the Oaks

Oisin Murphy wins aboard Inchicore at Lingfield
Oisin Murphy wins aboard Inchicore at Lingfield

Looking further back I had a winner and a few frustrations at Lingfield last Saturday with OCEAN ROAD in the Novibet Oaks Trial falling into the latter category.

I was a little bit annoyed with the way it all worked out as we went very steady and she just hesitated when the stalls opened and I didn’t want to be as far back as I was.

She made up her ground very easily and I thought I’d win a furlong out, but her run petered out late on.

The plan is to go to the Cazoo Oaks and while she’ll have to step up, she’s run a nice trial and deserves to take her chance at Epsom.

Another grimacing moment was BOUNCE THE BLUES in the Novibet Chartwll Fillies’ Stakes. She should’ve won and it was my fault that she didn’t.

It’s frustrating as it was a good opportunity for her, but it happens sometimes when you race up against the rail, you’re fighting for room, I thought I was following the right one in Isabella Giles, but I should’ve come back off Jason Watson’s ears and switched her out.

She’s in good form, but she’s very ground dependent and wouldn’t run on faster than good.

At least INCHICORE won in great style on the same card. I was thrilled to ride another winner for Apple Tree Stud and Alan King. It would be great to get some black type with her, being a daughter of Galileo that would be very valuable.

She’s gone up 10lb but she could run well in a Listed race.


Zuraig one for handicaps

Windsor has been kind to me this season and I got another winner there on Monday thanks to ZURAIG for Andrew Balding.

I don’t think he’ll get a high mark, maybe somewhere in the 70s, and he’ll probably go into handicaps where he could even step up in trip to a mile and a half.


Great News at Newmarket

I’m looking forward to riding GREAT NEWS for Saeed bin Suroor in the Betfair Novice Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

Nice good ground would be perfect for him and he should’ve improved a lot from his first run when we won together at Salisbury. I liked him there.

Interestingly Saeed runs Chief Of Staff in the same race, a horse he likes who I rode at Doncaster.

He did everything wrong that day – he was coltish, he was naughty in the stalls, but if he behaves himself he could come and beat me given he’s not carrying the penalty.


Don't miss Harrow at Newbury

I’m at Newmarket on Friday so unfortunately miss the ride on HARROW on his debut at Newbury but I’ll be watching on intently as he’s a horse I really like.

David Probert rides him on his debut in the maiden at 1.50 and he’s a lovely horse. Most of Andrew’s improve for their first run so bear that in mind, but I’ve liked this fellow for a while and he’s been ready to start off for a while, too.

I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.


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