Champion jockey Oisin Murphy Breeders' Cup insight: Hierarchy to rank highly
Oisin Murphy previews his four rides at the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar this weekend as he bids to break his duck at the meeting.
I’d love a Breeders’ Cup winner and I want to do it sooner rather than later. I’ve never really got close and I thought I might have one with Kameko in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile.
He trained well, put himself in a good spot from the stalls and had every chance, but for whatever reason he just didn’t finish his race out. The ground was probably a bit slow for him, they got a bit of rain last year in Kentucky.
HIERARCHY – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (21.50 GMT, Friday)
This year I have four rides across the two days. Mise En Scene has the right profile but has a tough draw, so I’d say my best chance is HIERARCHY who has fared well with his starting position in stall five.
He’s an easy ride. Michael O’Callaghan’s horse, Twilight Jet, is one of the favourites here, but I’d have fancied my chances of beating him in the Cornwallis so hopefully he can run well.
I think five furlongs will suit him. He jumped smart at Newbury on his last start, he put himself on the front end and he’s very straightforward.
It was a good run, it was a Group Two and he really earnt his place in this race. I think conditions will be fine so hopefully he’ll go very well.
MISE EN SCENE – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (23.10 GMT, Friday)
She felt really good on Thursday morning. I rode her from the stalls, got her a little practice with the bell ringing in her ear.
The problem is she’s not drawn very well, she’s drawn very wide in 13, so let’s just see how quick they go. If she had been second in the Fillies’ Mile last time out she’d be one of the favourites for this race and she wasn’t beaten very far.
She has improved on each run and still looks great in her coat, so I do think she can run a good race if I give her the right ride. It just won’t be easy from out where I am. On pedigree I know you’re getting mixed signals but I don’t think she’ll stay much further than a mile next year.
You can see in the Sporting Life tweet below in her stalls work, she is quite speedy, and it’ll be interesting how she handles two turns. She’s an intelligent type and I do think quite a bit of her so hopefully she’ll perform with great credit.
OCEAN ROAD – Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (20.59 GMT, Saturday)
She’s incredibly straightforward, she doesn’t pull and nothing gets her worked up. She needs to step her game up on what she’s achieved, she has to record a career-best – but we probably haven’t seen her at her best yet.
She doesn’t want soft ground, conditions she encountered in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and in the Cazoo Oaks, where, to be honest, she performed fine in both races. She had a summer break and then in her last start at Newmarket she got held up in behind and I suppose if she had finished a bit closer there, or even won that, then we’d say she definitely earns her place in this race.
Let’s see how she goes. She’s not drawn that great (in stall 10) but she is an easy ride. I’d say she’ll probably outrun her odds just because she doesn’t over-race, she’ll like the fast ground and 1m3f around here will be ideal. She has plenty in her favour but she does have to step up on what she’s shown so far.
I saw Love on Thursday morning, she looks great but hasn’t been at her best on her last few starts. It’s probably an open race, but if Love is anywhere near her best she’ll blow them out of the water.
MARCHE LORRAINE – Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (23.00 GMT, Saturday)
She’s had a lot of experience on different tracks in Japan running left and right-handed. She’s actually by Orfevre who everyone knows nearly won an Arc.
She’s a little bit woolly in her coat which is a little concerning, but at this time of year in Japan most horses are, so bearing in mind she only shipped over in the last 10 days it’s not surprising. She’s not drawn great in 10. I think Sheikh Fahad has got a very good chance of winning the race with Shesharesthedevil and another filly, Letruska, has actually beaten Shesharesthedevil and looks to have a good run of form going into the race.
Malathaat, the Shadwell horse, has had lots of media attention, she’s a filly with a big white face and looks like a real queen.
It’s not normally that strong a race but this year there looks to be three in there that would be deserving champions, so it will be tough for Marche Lorraine to get involved and mix it with those three.
Don’t oppose Tarnawa
I don’t ride in any of the other races on the card but the Breeders’ Cup Turf should be going back to Ireland again.
Tarnawa ran incredibly well in the Arc and I just think she’s a star – I can’t see her not being in the first two even if she gets stuck in traffic, if she gets a few bumps or whatever, I think she’s just too good.
She’s class, can put herself in a good spot and she’s got a great turn of foot, so, for me, she’s the one. I think Colin Keane can record back-to-back Breeders’ Cup successes on her.