by Oisin Murphy has turned the race for the 2024 Flat riders’ title into a procession and will be crowned British champion jockey for the fourth time at Ascot on Saturday, but the Irishman appeared to suggest on Thursday that the demands of securing the title are on the rise , fulfilling what could be “the most competitive weigh-in room in the world” could rule out a challenge for a fifth championship next year.
Murphy has completed 744 rides in the current season, at least 100 more than any other British rider, while a strike rate of 22% – the highest of any jockey in the table’s top 20 – had taken him to 162 wins before riding on Thursday, 54 ago the second placed rider Rossa Ryan.
His stats are phenomenal and at first glance it was a comfortable, almost spontaneous success. However, Murphy’s latest championship is also his first since his 14-month ban in December 2021 after he twice failed a pre-race breathalyzer test for alcohol and also caught the British Horseracing Authority on a trip abroad that breached Covid restrictions had misled.
Murphy is an extremely thoughtful and analytical rider, assessing his own performances and elite and everyday racing form in minute detail. He has also spoken in the past about his problems with alcohol addiction, still has to undergo regular testing and said on Thursday that he also receives counseling twice a week to relieve the pressure of driving at the highest level.
“Just this morning I had a consultation, twice a week, and have been since October 2021,” Murphy said at a Champions Day media event at Ascot on Saturday. “This is definitely a big help and important for me.
“When I was suspended, apart from riding [in the morning]I had a lot of free time and it gave me, perhaps for the first time in my adult life, the opportunity to just relax and take a deep breath.
“When things got stressful this year and I didn’t win races for a few days, I had that time to fall back on. It gives me a new perspective when I realize that I’m very lucky to be healthy and racing at such a high level again, and that it’s not the end of the world if I ride a few days when I had no success.”
A successful defense next year would see Murphy equal Willie Carson’s record of five titles, with only Pat Eddery (11) and Kieren Fallon (six) ahead of him in the last half-century.
However, his commitment to next year’s championship race was not particularly strong and it may be enough, at least for now, to regain the title after his long, enforced absence.
“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it this year,” he said. “I haven’t set myself the goal of winning the championship back next year and I really feel that before the flag falls you have to really commit to it because the English weighing room is so full of stars and that you have to commit to that “You have to be absolutely sure.” it is your goal.
“I think it’s one of the most, if not the most, competitive weighing room in the world. There are so many jockeys who have won Group 1 and many of them are quite young, ambitious and hungry. Lester [Piggott]Pat and Kieren, it has taken incredible hunger and work ethic so many times to achieve this.”
Murphy sees Ryan, who recently recorded the biggest win of his career in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe aboard Bluestocking, as a likely title contender next year and could instead turn his attention to adding to his tally of Group 1 wins.
“There are a lot of races I haven’t won,” he said. “How far have I come in my career? I don’t really know, but I don’t think I’ll live into my 50s, so I need to be successful while I can. There are two highlights, the Arc and the Derby, and both are equally important to me.”
Quick guide
Greg Woods tips for Friday
Show
Redcar: 1.22 Invitorio 1.52 Alfa Whiteburd 2.27 Project Dante 3.02 Convergent 3.37 Temper Trap 4.12 Diamondsinthesand 4.45 Walsingham 5.20 Roman Secret.
Uttoxeter: 1.35 Sonification 2.10 Windsurfer 2.45 Resplendent Gray (nb) 3.20 The Wreckin 3.55 Pretending 4.30 Cabhfuilfungi 5.05 Twp Stori 5.40 Mustang Betty.
Haydock: 1.45 Yabher 2.20 Cashlyn Cavalier 2.55 Nebrook Dream 3.30 Trilby 4.05 Mercurial (Nap) 4.40 On The River.
Fakenham: 2.00 Charging Thunder 2.35 Miami Magic 3.10 Omaha Wish 3.45 Toonagh Warrior 4.20 Double Powerful 4.55 Nickelforce.
Newcastle: 4.25 Unique Spirit 5.00 Something 5.30 Cugini 6.00 Tundra Rose 6.30 Stat Goddess 7.00 Kisdon Force 7.30 Lord Abama 8.00 Mr Jetman.
The tireless attention to detail and nuances of racing was a hallmark of Murphy’s career early on. Who other than Murphy himself, for example, would have noticed a strange error in his balance sheet midway through the season?
“My hit rate on the Sandown circuit was very poor in the first half of the fixtures there,” he said. “Suddenly, the last few times I was at Sandown, it just seemed to click.
“You could say it depends on the circumstances, but I also think it comes down to self-confidence and trust in your own intuition. If you can do that and you can’t force it, the chance of getting a good result increases.”
