MURPHY’S ROAR
After a painful false start he is ready for big finish
JUST how much it hurt jockey Oisin Murphy that he had not ridden the winner of a Group One race going into last season’s Arc meeting is displayed in the word he uses — ‘painful’.
As a teenage prodigy, Murphy galloped through the novice rider ranks and was the champion apprentice by the time he was 19.
By 20, Murphy was first jockey to the powerful Qatar Racing organisation of Sheik Fahad and his brothers. But for the young man from County Kerry, as he approached the end of the 2017 season, the win to truly announce his presence was still missing.
It finally arrived in last year’s Prix de La Foret on the Martyn Meade-trained Aclaim.
Murphy, now 23, said of that win: ‘The weight was off my shoulders. I didn’t feel the burden anymore.
‘Before Aclaim, painful is probably the right word. I had ridden so many horses with chances in Group Ones and for whatever reason I couldn’t get them across the line in front. Any young jockey wants to be part of those races.
‘It’s great riding in them but after you’ve had that many goes you’d imagine you’d get one. Riding a Group One winner is the dream.’ As he prepares to ride favourite Roaring Lion in next Saturday’s £1.3million Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot, the pain has been replaced by growing confidence but an incident at a mundane all-weather meeting was another reality check. Champions day when Murphy will again be trying to break new ground at the Flat’s end-of-season finale.
As well as Roaring Lion, winner of the Eclipse, International and Irish Champion Stakes, Murphy’s rides include Sprint Cup winner The Tin Man in the Champion Sprint and his Sussex Stakes winner Lightning Spear in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Murphy is relaxed. ‘I’m fortunate that I don’t get nervous before a big race. I actually buzz a little bit off seeing others get nervous. It’s definitely an advantage.
‘The most nervous I’ve been was when doing my leaving cert at school. I knew if I didn’t get over 450 — it’s a point system — my mother would make me repeat.
‘I was riding out for Aidan O’Brien the morning the results came out and I made my mother go to collect them. When she said you’ve got 460 I thought: “Jesus, I’ve been very fortunate”.’
Luck or fortune might not be needed by Roaring Lion. His biggest danger could prove to be his Gosden-trained stablemate and 2017 race winner Cracksman.
Murphy said: ‘Cracksman was outstanding last year but I think I’m on the best horse.’