Oisin Murphy

Staged in the relentless drizzle and mirk that arrived with vicious timing to dampen Derby day, Saturday's G1 Coolmore Coronation Cup came down to survival of the fittest with Victorious Forever's Bay City Roller (New Bay) overwhelming his rivals for a 10-length victory. With the 5-4 favourite Calandagan (Gleneagles) unable to raise a leg and Ballydoyle's leading hope Jan Brueghel (Galileo) struggling from the outset in ever-worsening conditions, it was left to Oisin Murphy to enjoy an armchair ride around Epsom on the four-year-old who had already proven his love...

Victorious Forever's 900,000gns Craven Breeze-Up Sale topper Senorita Bonita (Starspangledbanner) entered the mix for this year's Royal Ascot meeting after securing a last-gasp triumph in Wednesday's British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Nottingham. The straight five-furlong dash has been annexed by a trio of Karl Burke Royal Ascot-bound contenders in recent years. "Midway through the race, it wasn't looking good," said Simon Crisford.  "We couldn't get the cover that we wanted and I think she's had to do it the hard way. Her turn of foot was exceptional,...

Back at the scene of his landmark success in the marathon G1 Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend, Victorious Forever's Caballo De Mar (Phoenix Of Spain) proved the chief slugger of ParisLongchamp once again as he prevailed in a blanket finish to Thursday's G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier. On an evening designed to pay tribute to the late Aga Khan IV and which had already provided the perfect outcome via Daryz in the feature renamed in his honour, Caballo De Mar was providing the icing on the cake hailing from the...

Making history on York's Knavesmire on Thursday, Jeff Smith's See The Fire (Sea The Stars) became the first to win the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes for a second time. Always travelling with menace stalking the multiple Group 1 winner Fallen Angel (Too Darn Hot), the Andrew Balding-trained homebred was let loose by Oisin Murphy approaching two out and held Red Letter (Frankel) at bay to score by 3/4 of a length. Diamond Rain (Shamardal) was a further 1 1/4 lengths away in third. "It was so tactical, we went really,...

Ballydoyle's Precise (Starspangledbanner) will face 18 peers in Sunday's G1 Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, with Ryan Moore set to partner the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Fillies' Mile winner for the first time. She is drawn two for the mile Classic, with one of her chief rivals Venetian Sun (Starman) next door in stall one furthest away from the stands' rail. Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Prix Morny winner is one of two in the race for Karl Burke, with her regular rider Clifford Lee maintaining the partnership. Burke's other runner...

Andre Fabre has snapped up champion jockey Oisin Murphy to ride My Highness (Ghaiyyath) in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas on Sunday. Fabre, who last won the fillies' Classic in 2014 with Miss France, moved quickly once he knew Murphy would be available. The Godolphin-owned My Highness won three of her four outings as a juvenile, including a Group 2 at Deauville. She was beaten in the Prix Imprudence earlier this month, but Fabre was not too concerned by that and can point to the fact Miss France also suffered defeat...

In a renewal of Newmarket's G3 Craven Stakes robbed of a star turn in Hawk Mountain (Wootton Bassett) and of another of interest in Hankelow (Night Of Thunder) due to the quickening ground, it was TDN Rising Star Oxagon (Frankel) who benefitted under enterprising tactics. Sent off the 7-4 second favourite due to the defections, last year's Champagne Stakes runner-up who was sporting first-time cheekpieces was sent straight to the front by Oisin Murphy and dictated to suit. Applying the pressure on the approach to the dip, Prince Faisal's homebred...

Former Champion Hurdle hero Constitution Hill (Blue Bresil) attracted a bumper crowd for his Flat debut at Friday evening's Southwell fixture and sent supporters home contented after witnessing the nine-year-old romp to an impressive 9 1/2-length tally in the 12-furlong SBK Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes. Bounding along within range of the pace through halfway, the 6-4 favourite was accompanied by raucous cheers when surging forward on the bridle in the home straight and lengthened clear in imperious fashion to easily overpower Square Necker (Zarak) by daylight. "He felt like...

TDN Book Review There's so much to cover in Oisin Murphy's recently released autobiography, "Sacrifice, A Year in the Life of a Champion Jockey," that it's hard to know where to start. But when it comes to trying to capture what he had to say in this compelling, 224-page book, there is no better place to begin with than his many off-the-track troubles, which have been one of the central themes of his career. In the midst of a booming career, Murphy was handed a 14-month suspension in 2022 by...

Hong Kong is the December place to be for world-class horseracing and Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races--offering some HK$130 million (£12.5 million/US$16.7 million) across four races--has once again attracted a veritable who's who from a variety of racing jurisdictions. In a real racing rarity, each of the winners from last year's meeting returns to Sha Tin and each has realistic chances to repeat the dose. Indeed, it would be a complete shock if two of the four--Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) and Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress)--fail to deliver in the HK$40-million...

John and Thady Gosden like to unveil one of their nicer Classic prospects at Kempton and Wednesday evening saw the pricey newcomer Asmeralda (Night Of Thunder) follow the trend. Always travelling easily for Oisin Murphy in division one of the seven-furlong fillies' novice on the card, Imad Al Sagar's €640,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate moved to the front approaching two out with only the 5-6 market-leader Pierchic (Palace Pier) to beat. Always comfortably holding that half-sister to the Oaks runner-up Dance Sequence (Dubawi), the 11-10 second favourite held a...

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has received a 15-day ban for repeated breaches of the whip rules. Murphy, who secured his fifth title at the formal conclusion of the championship at Ascot last month, was referred to the British Horseracing Authority's judicial panel for a fast-track hearing after using his whip once above the permitted level on Gladius at Newmarket on October 11. He was given a 15-day ban, five days of which are suspended for six months or 200 rides, with one day to be spent receiving coaching on his...