Ban rules Murphy out of St Leger Festival
CHAMPION jockey Oisín Murphy is set to miss next month’s Pertemps St Leger Festival after being given a seven-day suspension when Ayr’s stewards found him guilty of careless riding.
Murphy partnered Tiritomba to a two-and-a-quarterlength win in the Shadwell Stud Maiden Stakes yesterday – but the filly appeared to drift across second-placed
Ricksen in the finish, prompting the stewards to take a look.
Murphy was judged to have ‘allowed his mount to drift left for a considerable time without sufficient correction causing (Ricksen’s rider Paul) Mulrennan to take a significant check and clip heels’ and was banned for seven days. The rider is currently 18 winners ahead of Tom Marquand in the jockeys’ championship.
The stewards report to the British Horseracing Authority confirmed that Murphy’s suspension will take effect from September 7 to September 13 — ruling him out of Doncaster’s four-day meeting.
Meanwhile, A’Ali is to head back to Ireland for the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s three-year-old has already plundered one nice prize at the Curragh this season when beating subsequent winner Make A Challenge in the Sapphire Stakes.
He finished a respectable fourth to Battaash in the
Nunthorpe last week and will remain at Group One level for the race on September 13.
Joint trainer Ed Crisford said: ‘He’s come out of it very well and I think we’ll go to the Curragh for the Flying Five in three weeks.
‘A stiff five at the Curragh should suit him perfectly and he’s obviously won there before,’ he added.