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Oisin Murphy has four rides at Ascot on Saturday

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By Oisin Murphy

Sporting Life Plus

Sat October 17, 2020 · 4y ago

Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy talks through his latest week that included several winners and a sit on Kameko, while he looks ahead to his Champions Day rides.

I’ve had a good week, riding five or six winners, and it’s important to keep the momentum going into QIPCO British Champions Day and beyond with several big prizes still to play for including at the Breeders’ Cup.

I’m keeping busy, both on the track and off it, and I rode work at Andrew Balding’s on Wednesday where I put Morando through his paces ahead of the Long Distance Cup.

He felt in good shape and I sat on Kameko as well, who was been trained for Champions Day until the testing ground scuppered our plan to run him in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

It’s a shame as he feels in super form for this time of year, he’s very fresh and as long as he can maintain that sort of well-being we’ll be very happy to go to America for the Breeders’ Cup Mile with him.

Looking at the ante-post betting he’s favourite now, with Pinatubo retired, and that’s very exciting.

I’m sure the test out at Keeneland will suit him. He’s quite intuitive, so when I’m sitting in the gate on him he’ll read my body language and jump fast, into the bridle and get racing.

He’ll like the configuration of the track and the ground if it’s fast, he just looks the ideal type for the race to my eyes.

Kameko - up in trip for the Investec Derby

Kameko: Ideal type for the Breeders' Cup

The Lir Jet is another on the list for the Breeders’ Cup and we just feel the Sprint might be a bit sharp for him, so he’ll be going for the Juvenile Turf over a mile.

He seems really well, Michael Bell is happy with him and he’s done Qatar Racing proud this season. I feel going round a bend in that race is the best option and Sheikh Fahad is keen to have a go as well.

I said last week this is a good time of year for the better juveniles coming out and I rode a pretty good filly to victory at Newmarket last week in Nebulosa.

I liked her a lot, she’ll improve from run to run. She relaxed super on the day which was key and she hit the line strongly.

On Tuesday I went to Newcastle and I do like the look of a horse that beat me, Future King for Saeed bin Suroor.

He’s three and must’ve been pretty slow to come to hand as it was just his second start, but he looks to have plenty of ability and likely a bright future.

Both of those are horses to follow.

Saturday Rides – QIPCO British Champions Day

Search For A Song – 1.20 Ascot

It’s fantastic to get on Search For A Song in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup for Dermot Weld.

I’ve only ridden for him twice, two rides at last year’s Ebor meeting at York, and one of them was when winning on this filly in the Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.

She’s done nothing wrong this year, she was superb in the Irish Leger last time out when getting a very good ride from Oisin Orr, so hopefully I can get a nice tune out of her.

Stradivarius will be hard to beat, he deserves to be favourite, but I’m really looking forward to taking him on with Search For A Song.

It’s obviously the furthest she’s ever gone, but I think if she relaxes she’ll stay no problem, she certainly looked strong at the finish in the Irish Leger.

Search For A Song doubles up at the Curragh

Dream Of Dreams – 1.55 Ascot

I’ve built up quite a rapport with Dream Of Dreams and I hope we can continue our winning streak in the QIPCO British Champions Sprint.

I spoke to Sir Michael Stoute this week and he seems very happy with him. The horse is straightforward and if he’s in the same form as he was the last two starts he’ll take some beating.

He obviously bombed out in the race last year, but that was at the end of a busy campaign and he’s much fresher this time around.

Oxted is drawn near to me and he could start second favourite, so I can keep close tabs on him. I’m drawn in 16 and often it can pay to be lower than that at this time of year, but we’re drawn where we are, he’s uncomplicated, and I’ll obviously try and get cover off something.

Although at this time of year on this sort of ground it can be a very open race, Dream Of Dreams looks to have an outstanding chance.

I’ve not sat on him since Haydock, I’ve actually never ridden him in work, so hopefully that old routine can work once again and we can collect another Group One together.

Oisin Murphy plants a kiss on Dream Of Dreams at Haydock

Sir Busker – 3.05 Ascot

He’s been a mark of consistency all season and though he has a bit to find with the main players in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes he has an each-way chance.

His only disappointing run all season was his last one, in the Cambridgeshire, but he’s back at a track he likes on Saturday after his Silver Hunt Cup win when we came with a late run to beat Salayel.

Hopefully he can give his connections something to shout about. The big field is in his favour and he won’t mind the ground, it’s just whether or not the opposition is too hot.

For me, Palace Pier is a terrific horse, he loves this ground and he has done great things this season. His St James’s Palace win, for such an inexperienced horse, was incredible.

I think he has to underperform if he’s to get beat and in that scenario The Revenant, who also loves the ground, and Circus Maximus, who should take us along, come into calculations.

Sir Busker (white cap) on his way to winning the Silver Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot

Bell Rock – 4.15 Ascot

The Balmoral Handicap should really suit Bell Rock.

I can get stuck into him early and he finds plenty for pressure. He’s a good horse, there’s no doubt about that and he’s on the same handicap mark as when running really good races at Goodwood and Newmarket.

I’m drawn in nine, it’s hard to know if that’s good, bad or indifferent, but Raaeq and Tempus, two strong chances, are drawn close by so I’ll take that as a positive.

Bell Rock hits a flat spot and then stays on, so we’ve put headgear on him - cheekpieces. It was my idea, it’s just to try and get him up into the bit and make him concentrate.

Soft ground is an unknown, it’s hard to know if he’ll like it, but on pedigree you’d have to say it’s worth taking a calculated risk on. If he handles it well he has every chance.