Oisin Murphy reflects on a successful trip to Canada at the weekend in his latest Sporting Life video interview.
The jockeys’ championship leader wasn’t riding at Doncaster’s St Leger day or day one of the Irish Champions Festival at Leopardstown as he was on his way to Woodbine to ride New Century in the Grade 1 bet365 Summer Stakes last Saturday.
Andrew Balding’s Qatar Racing-owned juvenile finished well over the one-mile trip to beat Godolphin’s Al Qudra and in the process book his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar on November 1.
“It was great placing and obviously the horse then had to take it really well,” Murphy said.
“A son of Kameko, I was just delighted with the way he has improved from run to run and how tough he is.
“It was probably never in any doubt in my mind. Once he came out of the gate the speed was on, I was able to cut the turn and come out into space.
“He always finds under pressure, so he was tough down the home straight.
“Del Mar will be a completely different situation. It'll be a two-turn mile, a short straight, and it might be a little bit sharp for him.
“Not that he doesn't have the speed, but will I really be able to track those American horses closely enough and then have enough time in the straight to run them down?
"But he's going to be one of the favourites and he deserves to take his chance in the race. Looking to next year, he's also quite exciting and I think he'll get 10 furlongs, certainly on pedigree."
WATCH: Oisin Murphy interview (September 19)
Murphy also chats about his upcoming rides at Newbury on Saturday, impressive Sandown winner Cosmic Year and a frustrating run of narrow defeats on the first two days of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster.
One of those, Tropical Storm, who was a close-up fourth in the Group 2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes, also looks set to board the plane for the Breeders’ Cup.
Murphy said: "Tropical Storm, I think, can achieve more than that and he's the one I'm most looking forward to [from the horses he was beaten on at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival].
"It's likely he'll go for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and he'll be facing a similar home challenge, as you would think that Big Mojo and Aesterius will be going there as well.”
Finally, Murphy flew back to Ireland on Sunday for the Group 1 Comer Group International Irish St. Leger where he rode Marco Botti’s Giavellotto to be third behind Kyprios and Vauban (watch the free video replay, below).
A drop back to a mile and a half overseas could be in the pipeline for him.
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“I hope that the next time I partner Giavellotto it might be on a foreign trip, I'll be able to keep a lid on him and get him back to his best,” Murphy said.
“He has no problem with speed. If you pause at any stage of his races at the Curragh or at Newmarket he's the one going the easiest at any stage of the race.
“All the options are open. The Japan Cup and the Hong Kong International Races in December, then Dubai. They're all open for him. I'd say Marco will have a think about it with his owners and see how the horse comes out of the Curragh.”
To watch the latest Oisin Murphy interview in full you can watch the video above or visit our YouTube page here.
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