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Motakhayyel beats Sir Busker in the Bunbury Cup

Oisin Murphy: Busker can hit high notes | Qatar Goodwood Festival blog days three and four

By Oisin Murphy

Horse Racing

Fri July 31, 2020 · 4y ago

Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy says Sir Busker is not handicapped out of things in the Golden Mile despite going up in the weights for Bunbury Cup defeat last time.

Friday’s rides

1.10 – Berkshire Savvy

This is a very hot race and there are a number of these I know pretty well. I was happy with Berkshire Savvy at Windsor, he probably deserved his 6lb hike in the weights and I hope there’s more to come from him.

1.45 – Shadn

There are obviously a number of these that are in front of her on all known form, but I’m staying loyal to owner Katsumi Yoshida who has been good to me. She ran okay at Ascot and hopefully she’ll benefit for going back up in trip to seven furlongs. She’s only tried it once when third in the Prestige Stakes at this track last year.

2.45 – Sir Busker

If he gets luck in-running he’s going to be one of the ones they have to beat. There’s a lot of pace in the race that will suit me, but I’m obviously wary that it’ll be tough to come from way off the pace, the way he likes it, at this track. We’ll have to see how it pans out, but, even though he’s up 5lb for his second in the Bunbury Cup, I wouldn’t say he’s handicapped out of things.

3.15 – Ornate

Battaash is obviously the one to beat here as he goes for another win at a track that clearly plays to his strengths. As his price indicates, he’s obviously going to really tough to beat. My fellow has a lot on his plate.

3.45 – Le Don De Vie

Le Don De Vie has a bit to find with these on ratings, but he’s a top horse and deserves to be in a race like this. I obviously know him well from his days at Andrew Balding’s and I won on him at this track for Hughie Morrison last year. He hasn’t run badly in defeat in tough handicaps at Royal Ascot and Newmarket’s July Festival, but he obviously has to find a bit more in this company.

4.55 – Ventura Diamond

I finished the day with a winner for Richard Fahey on Wednesday and it would be nice if we could team up again with victory in Friday’s closer. She’s an interesting filly who ran well behind Miss Jingles at Sandown, form that was franked by the winner on Wednesday, so you’d have to be hopeful going up a furlong.

Immediate Kameko reaction

It’s still pretty raw what happened in the Qatar Sussex Stakes today.

Kameko felt great and travelled powerfully throughout but got no run at all in the straight. I just couldn’t find any room and perhaps the best horse didn’t win on the day.

That’s taking nothing away from Mohaather, so well done to Marcus Tregoning and his team. It’s just unsatisfactory not to get a clear run in a Group One and we’ll never know what would’ve happened had I had a clear passage.

Hopefully we’ll get the chance to make amends later in the season. He feels very much a miler to me, but we’ll get him home and make sure he comes out of the race well before we start making any plans.

Things just didn’t pan out. That’s Goodwood and at least I left the course with a nice winner after Toro Strike won for Richard Fahey. He bolted up.

Hopefully there will be more of that and less of the hard-luck stories over the next three days.

"I never put him into top gear." 🛑@oismurphy reflects on KAMEKO's fourth place finish in the Qatar Sussex Stakes.@Qatar_Racing @Goodwood_Races pic.twitter.com/MjukjXiWaT
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) July 29, 2020

Thursday’s rides

1.10 – Spanish Angel

I won on him at Windsor and he’s run well a couple of times in defeat since then, he’s been running to his rating. He’s an easy horse to ride. I’d say he has a chance but the one to beat looks to be the horse that’s on a five-timer, Bal Mal, with George Rooke taking 5lb off his back.

1.45 – Starcat

I can’t believe he’s 14/1 but he was obviously disappointing in the Britannia. He’s freshened up since and I think a mile and a quarter will suit him well. I think he’s a smart horse, I always thought he’d be a fair bit better than 94, anyway, so I hope he can bounce back.

2.15 – Talbot

He gave me a nice feel when I won on him on his first start at Lingfield where he beat Jojo Rabbit on debut. He’s obviously been disappointing since, but he was in at the deep end at both Royal Ascot and Newbury and it’ll be my first go back on him since his first run. Brian Meehan’s horses are running well, so I wouldn’t rule him out, even though it looks a tough race.

3.15 – Deirdre

Deirdre aims to go back-to-back in the Group One Nassau Stakes and it was a tremendous thrill to win this race on her last year. On ratings I don’t think this year’s renewal is any deeper, but interestingly there doesn’t seem to be a lot of pace on paper so you might see her ridden more prominently than usual.

It’s still a very competitive race. Nazeef doesn’t know how to be beaten, Fancy Blue got a very good ride last time out in France and Deirdre has to give 9lb to the three-year-olds. But she’s in really good form and I’ve been pleased with her recent homework. I’m happy with my draw in six, I should be able to slide up and it would be nice to go forward on her, I think it could suit her.

3.45 – Running Back

I think stepping up to seven furlongs will suit this horse in the Gusbourne Nursery Handicap. He’s done nothing wrong in his two starts and I actually don’t think this is the deepest of races for a Goodwood nursery. He needs to take a leap forward from his last start as he was quite green, he looked an unlucky loser at Kempton but he put himself in that position.

4.55 – Acklam Express

He came forward plenty to win on his second start in good style at Hamilton earlier in the month. I liked how he squeezed through a gap that day and he clearly handled the downhill start well which bodes well for Goodwood. I’ve had three winners from five runners for Nigel Tinkler so we have a great record together.