Oisin Murphy

A renewal of Newbury's G1 BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes which read like a baffling puzzle beforehand went the way of Juddmonte's Lead Artist, with the son of Dubawi the one with the right mix of readiness and tactical advantage on Saturday. Supported into 17-2 for the mile feature, with the Gosdens fully expecting the regally-connected homebred to leave his latest last-of-eight in the G2 Sandown Mile way behind, the otherwise progressive 4-year-old was positioned near the steady early tempo by Oisin Murphy with the race's main fancies anchored too far back....

3rd-Newbury, £12,000, Mdn, 5-16, 2yo, 6fT, 1:11.97, gd. HUMIDITY (GB) (c, 2, Ulysses {Ire}--Sultry {GB}, by Pivotal {GB}), sent off at 6-1 for this often-informative maiden won in 2018 by Advertise, broke smartly to lead under Oisin Murphy. Pressed throughout by the 7-2 favourite Title Role, the homebred hung tough to prevail by a short head from that Too Darn Hot colt who was a 500,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up purchase last month. "He's a lovely horse and we'll talk with the team and see what they want do," trainer Andrew...

   Sent off the 8-11 favourite for Thursday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes at York, Jeff Smith's See The Fire was in a class of her own at the end to fully justify the support. Always travelling with menace under Oisin Murphy, last year's G3 Strensall Stakes winner and G1 Nassau Stakes and G1 Sun Chariot Stakes-placed daughter of Sea The Stars moved through tiring rivals to take command two out.    Benefitting from the strong pace set by Doha, the homebred was able to stay more...

3rd-Leicester, £8,000, Mdn, 4-26, 3yo/up, 10fT, 2:07.52, gd. SKIMMER (GB) (c, 3, Kingman {GB}--Scuffle {GB} {SP-Eng}, by Daylami {Ire}), a half-brother to the G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}), was heavily-supported into 2-1 favouritism on this debut and travelled sweetly behind the leaders throughout the early stages. Staying on strongly to overwhelm Asmen Warrior (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the last half a furlong, the homebred asserted to score by 3/4 of a length. The winner is the 11th foal out of the listed-placed dam, whose best so...

Kirsten Rausing homebred Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) is bound for a Classic campaign after registering a career best on seasonal return in Tuesday's Listed bet365 Feilden Stakes at Newmarket. The G2 Dante Stakes and G1 Irish Derby entry, who bettered a debut fourth at Sandown in September with a breakthrough score at York the following month, employed hold-up tactics and raced seventh of the eight runners through the initial fractions of this black-type debut. Taking closer order once past halfway, the 11-4 favourite's momentum carried him to the...

Putting a disappointing juvenile finale firmly behind him at Newbury on Saturday, Juddmonte's Jonquil (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) emerged best in a fascinating G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes. Labelled a TDN Rising Star after his debut at Sandown in August, the homebred relation of Frankel (GB) who had flopped when sixth in Doncaster's Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes in September tracked Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) towards the stand's side throughout the early stages. Mastering that rival with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the 8-1 shot,...

Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was rerouted from potential turf engagements in favour of Wednesday's Unibet Novice Stakes at Kempton and could not have been more impressive in retaining his perfect record with a five-length triumph, racing under a seven-pound penalty, in the seven-furlong contest. The Harry Charlton trainee went off as the 2-9 favourite and was swiftly into stride, despite receiving bumps from both neighbours at the break, to track a modest pace in third through halfway. Inching closer once into the home straight, he...

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Japanese-trained runners dominated the Saudi Cup meeting, landing the big race itself and a clean sweep of the turf races, while peppering results elsewhere on the card with placed finishers.  A little sprinkling of European spice was added to the mix in the French breeding of the G2 Howden Neom Turf Cup winner Shin Emperor (Fr), whose heritage is shared by Christophe Lemaire, rider of the G2 1351 Turf Sprint winner Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) but now just as much a son of...

Recently-crowned Longines World's Best Jockey James McDonald has been confirmed in the line-up for the 2025 International Jockeys' Challenge (IJC) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh on Friday, February 21. It will mark the first time the globetrotting New Zealander, who has ridden 106 Group 1 winners in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Britain and Japan, has competed in Saudi Arabia. McDonald's participation in the IJC will also give him valuable experience of the Riyadh track, the day before bidding for glory aboard Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation...

Entering Sunday's G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, the first of the four Group 1 events at the Longines Hong Kong International Races, trainer Marco Botti and jockey Oisin Murphy were a combined naught for 10 at the meeting, but the 5-year-old stayer GIAVELLOTTO (IRE) (h, 5, Mastercraftsman {Ire}--Gerika {Fr}, by Galileo {Ire}) overcame some trouble turning in, weaved his way between horses inside the final furlong and streaked clear to take the 2400-metre contest. Settled behind midfield and saving ground as Japan's Pradaria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) galloped them along...

A galaxy of racing's stars are set to take part in the Treo Eile Christmas Show at the Emerald Equestrian Centre on Thursday, December 12.  Oisin Murphy, Colin Keane, Davy Russell, Barry Geraghty, Nina Carberry, Robbie Power and more will be on show in the popular event. The Horse Racing Ireland Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic is the feature class on the night and is a team competition to showcase the very best of Ireland's retrained racehorses.  Teams of four will compete in a timed competition. Captained by a jockey, each...

On a bright autumn afternoon at Ascot, Oisin Murphy raised and then kissed a silver trophy that symbolised the arc of his redemption. Banned for 14 months for twice failing breath tests and misleading the British Horseracing Authority over a trip to Mykonos during Covid, Murphy stood on Champions Day as the embodiment of a fall-and-rise narrative. There are lots of those in sport, and they sure as hell beat the opposite, which is fall-and-stay-fallen. The 2024 Champion Jockey was given a guard of honour by his fellow jockeys and...