Murphy is very excited for restart

CHAMPION jockey Oisin Murphy is relishing the prospect of getting back to the business of riding winners when racing makes its eagerly-awaited return today.

Crowned leading apprentice in 2014, 24-year-old Murphy last year became the youngest jockey to take the senior title since Ryan Moore at the age of 23 in 2006.

Like everyone else, Murphy – who has three rides on the opening day at Newcastle – has had to find ways to keep occupied since the coronavirus lockdown brought racing to a halt in Britain in mid-March, but with resumption just hours away, he is raring to go.

Strict protocols will be in place on racecourses, where the action will be behind closed doors, but Murphy fully expects riders and other personnel to cope well.

He said: “We’ve all been in regular contact with each other and our valets. We’re going to be split into different groups and all have our own area in the weighing room. There won’t actually be any need for us to get within two metres of each other.

“We are fully versed on the protocols and I feel comfortable that we can adhere to them correctly and we can go back racing and be good role models for other sports.

“I haven’t ridden behind closed doors, but it’s worked perfectly fine in Australia, Hong Kong and Japan over the last couple of months. It’s nice to have an atmosphere – I Frankie (Dettori) will miss the crowds!

“But at the end of the day we’re looking forward to riding really good horses and buzzing off the thought of that.”