On this week’s episode of the Sporting Life Racing Podcast, Oisin Murphy shares insights into his rides for King George Day at Ascot this Saturday.
As the jockeys' championship leader, Murphy will ride John & Thady Gosden's Middle Earth in the prestigious Group 1 King George & Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes. Notably, he had the option to ride Sunway, trained by David Menuisier.
Retained by Qatar Racing, which owns Middle Earth and partially owns Sunway, Murphy has developed a solid rapport with both horses this season. Given that Middle Earth will be donning the Qatar Racing colours, Murphy considers it the “logical decision” to choose the Gosden-trained contender, who is stepping back into Group 1 competition for the first time since finishing seventh in last year's St Leger.
“It certainly wasn’t an easy decision,” Murphy explained on the podcast. “Sunway is getting the weight-for-age and is higher rated, but Middle Earth will carry the Qatar Racing colours and with Sheikh Fahad’s family sponsoring the race it was the logical decision to ride Middle Earth.”
Murphy is optimistic about Middle Earth's chances, noting, “He’s certainly ready to go at a race like this. He was one-paced last time off a slow pace in the Hardwicke and has a bit to find, so hopefully they go a good gallop.”
Murphy also highlighted his promising rides on the undercard, mentioning Handcuffed, Sirona, and New Century, the latter of which he described as “a gorgeous horse.”
In the Moet & Chandon International Handicap, Murphy is set to ride King Power’s Fivethousandtoone, who finished a close fourth in the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle last time out, despite being badly hampered in the Wokingham.
He acknowledged the challenges of navigating a large field, stating, “He’ll be around 25/1, but I think he’s more than capable of winning a race like this.”
This week's podcast, hosted by David Ord, features insights from Graham Cunningham, Ed Chamberlin, Billy Nash, and Matt Brocklebank as they preview the King George. You can listen to the full discussion here, including Murphy's segment.