Murphy takes control of title race
Horse racing
LAMBOURN jockey Oisin Murphy has taken a firm grip on the flat jockey’s championship after another stunning display in the saddle.
The 25-year-old, who is the defending flat jockey champion, has racked up a total of 93 winners this season and has a healthy lead over William Buick (80) and Tom Marquand (78) in second and third respectively.
Last week, Murphy rode five winners at Kempton on the same card, which included success on the Ed Walker-trained Absolutely Divine and the Hughie Morrison-trained Thunderclap.
The jockey followed it with a quick-fire treble at Brighton the day after as he made it eight winners in just 22 hours.
Another winner at Newmarket followed under the Walker-trained Kawida, before an
other treble at the same track a day later.
The local jockey was back in action yesterday (Wednesday) after serving a two-day suspension from racing after breaking whip rules on Scampi at last month’s Glorious Goodwood.
Murphy is expected to have a number of booked rides at Newbury tomorrow (Friday), and is likely to ride the Andrew Balding-trained Franklin William in the BetVictor Maiden Stakes and Neenee’s Choice in a 1m Handicap.
Marquand, who is in third place in the standings, is still in contention in the championship after an impressive double at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.
Also based in Lambourn, the 23-year-old is expected to line up at Newbury tomorrow and he also has booked rides on Saturday.
Marquand is expected to saddle Ilaraab in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes on Saturday and Sacred in the Hungerford Stakes – the featured race of the afternoon.
His partner – Hollie Doyle – will be riding the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon, while Buick will be on Sleeping Lion in the Group 2 race.
Lambourn trainer Owen Burrows has Hukum in the Hungerford Stakes and the four-year-old, who won the Geoffrey Free Stakes last year, is leading the market for the race.