OISIN TURNS THE TIDE
Murphy rallies after Cup disappointment
IT was an afternoon of highs and lows for Oisin Murphy at Royal Ascot yesterday, bouncing back with victory in the feature race having lost a Group One in the stewards’ room 40 minutes earlier.
On a day where torrential rain had earlier threatened the abandonment of the meeting, Murphy and Dragon Symbol were locked in a battle royal with Campanelle and Frankie Dettori in the closing stages of the Commonwealth Cup, winning by a head.
But Murphy lost the race in the stewards’ room, adjudged to have failed to keep a straight course on the Archie Watson-trained colt.
“I started behind Frankie,” said Murphy. “He had the speed to go past her and then it’s very hard work in front.”
Murphy and Dettori had a heated exchange before and after the inquiry but the Italian played things down afterwards.
“It’s never nice winning a race in the stewards’ room,” Dettori said. “But in these conditions, when you are taken across about eight lanes and I got nudged three times, I lost my momentum and got beaten a head.
“So the stewards felt they gave me the benefit of the doubt.”
Murphy then drove the Andrew Baldingtrained Alcohol Free to a one-and-a-half-length victory over Snow Lantern in the Group One Coronation Stakes over a mile.
“I said to my valet – there is no place for tears after losing the last race,” said Murphy.
“There are harder things in the world.We are in the entertainment industry. Let’s look forward to the next one.” The next one came soon enough as the champion jockey partnered Quickthorn to victory in the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes for Hughie Morrison.
For American trainer Wesley Ward victory with Campanelle was a relief after he had been hitting the crossbar all week. “Winning at Ascot no matter how you get there, is special,” Ward said after saddling his 12th winner at the track. “Royal Ascot has changed my life. If it wasn’t for Royal Ascot, my kids would be going to community college and instead my eldest son is going to law school in August.” Balding was earlier on the mark when David Probert partnered Sandrine to victory in the Albany Stakes. Alenquer skipped through the mud for William Haggas to take the King EdwardVII Stakes, ridden by Tom Marquand, before Johnny Murtagh enjoyed his first training success at the meeting when Create Belief won the Sandringham Stakes under Ben Coen.