It’s fair to say that Oisin Murphy has had his ups and downs over the last few years. The Irish rider was handed a 14-month ban in 2022, forcing him to watch that year’s flat season from the sidelines, but he has come through that dark period and remains an ever-present name at the fore of the horse racing betting markets.
Murphy was second to Godolphin’s William Buick in the race for the 2023 Flat Jockeys’ Championship title in his first season back in the saddle but has streaked clear this season and will be crowned the top rider in Britain for the fourth time in his illustrious career at Ascot prestigious Champion’s Day next month.
The 29-year-old has had a remarkable campaign, riding 129 winners at an impressive strike rate of 22% and accumulating over £5 million in total prize money for the year. With all that said, let’s take a look back at some of his biggest wins of the British flat racing season.
Asfoora – King Charles III Stakes (Group 1): Royal Ascot
Australian sprinter Asfoora was sent all the way over to Britain for a summer campaign, and Murphy made the trip worthwhile for the horse’s connections with a victory in the Group 1 King Charles II Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
The Henry Dwyer-trained six-year-old was fancied as the second favourite behind the popular Big Evs for the five-furlong contest but stole the lead from Michael Appleby’s horse in the final 110 yards and ran on to win the valuable £390,000 contest by a length.
Khaadem – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1): Royal Ascot
Murphy had a fantastic Royal Ascot this year, with four victories at the prestigious meeting, and he capped the week off with another Group 1 success aboard Khaadem in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Despite being the defending champion, the Charles Hills-trained horse was a 14/1 outsider for the top-level contest and didn’t get off to the best starts when taking a keen hold and racing toward the rear of the field as Murphy attempted to settle him down.
It was a thrilling race for the finish, with little to separate Khaadem, Swingalong and Mill Stream as the line approached. However, Hills’ runner, who was four years older than his rivals at eight, had more in the tank and kept on to retain his crown.
Queen Of The Pride – Lancashire Oaks (Group 2): Haydock
Haydock was the scene of another Group success for Murphy this season, as he won the Lancashire Oaks atop Queen Of The Pride for father/son duo John and Thady Gosden and Qatar Racing — who have stood by the 29-year-old as their retained jockey for a number of years now.
Sir Mark Prescott’s Tiffany was the pre-race favourite, but Queen Of The Pride started to come up the extreme right a couple of the furlongs out and started to kick on from the rest of the pack under Murphy at the furlong pole — streaking home to a three-length win over Tiffany.
Giavellotto – Princess Of Wales’s Stakes (Group 2): Newmarket
There were more Group 2 honours for Murphy in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at the Newmarket July Festival, as he steered Giavellotto for Marco Botti.
Hamish was the short-price favourite for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, but flattered to deceive and was well back in the field as Giavellotto won comfortably from Arrest to add the Princess Of Wales’s to his dual Yorkshire Cups.
