Oisin Murphy plays down Cheltenham Festival appearance putting Flat first
Oisin Murphy has restated his desire to ride in jumps races one day but played down the possibility of competing at the Cheltenham Festival this year because he is focused on the Flat turf season.
The three-time champion jockey left himself the option of switching codes by securing both a jumps and Flat licence when he returned from a 14-month ban for breaking Covid rules in 2020 and failing two alcohol breath tests in 2021.
He has ridden five winners since his return nine days ago but drew a blank in Riyadh on Saturday when he was only fourth on Missed The Cut, who started favourite for the £1.2 million Neom Turf Cup.
Murphy, who is the nephew of Best Mate’s regular jockey Jim Culloty, spent part of his time off competing in show jumping events but signalled his National Hunt ambitions were for another time.
“I would love to one day, it’s just very hard,” he said. “I don’t have any opportunities waiting for me. At the forefront of my mind is the start of the turf season in England.
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“My uncle won a Cheltenham Bumper, three Gold Cups and a National. It’s unlikely I will get to realise that sort of success but I would love to ride in some races eventually.”
Asked if that could happen this year, he added: “If the right horse came along it would be possible but I don't have anything waiting for me.”
Murphy said he was to blame for the defeat of Missed The Cut, who came into the race with four wins from his last five starts for trainer George Boughey.
He was stuck on the outside and had no answer to the John and Thady Gosden-trained Mostahdaf who scored by seven lengths under Jim Crowley.
“I gave him a bad ride, it was the jockey’s fault,” said Murphy.
Mostahdaf, thought good enough to run in the Arc last year, was the only British winner on the Saudi Cup card on a night when Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist beat only one other on his return from a 618-day injury absence.
Mostahdaf could join his stablemate, Saturday’s Winter Derby winner Lord North, in Dubai next month but Subjectivist, who raced too keenly, is unlikely to make the trip.
“We will lower our sights to something closer to home,” said trainer Charlie Johnston. “We will see how he comes out of this but the obvious races are the Sagaro or Henry II Stakes.”
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