Matt Chapman talks all things Oisin Murphy and the return of the Flat in his latest column
The stubborn ‘we know best and to hell with the rest of you’ nature of British racing’s rulers means that once again the Flat season on turf gets under way at Doncaster today while the 2019 Flat jockeys’ championship is pushed to one side like a piece of rotten fruit.
It’s nigh on impossible to find anyone without a financial incentive who thinks British racing hasn’t ruined the Flat jockeys’ championship.
While big names at Doncaster this afternoon – like current champion Silvestre de Sousa and the top class pair of James Doyle and Andrea Atzeni – will be hoping to bang in winners left, right and centre as others swan around in Dubai, their efforts will be ignored as far as trying to become best of the best is concerned.
As you are no doubt aware, some bright spark (not) decided you become champion only for the winners ridden between the Guineas meeting at Newmarket and Champions Day at Ascot. It’s a nonsense.
Yet again the powers that be – seemingly with no care of the history of the sport or public perception – just do as they want. I despair.
As for the jockeys’ championship itself, surely this is the time for Oisin Murphy to step forward with a serious challenge. Indeed, if I was Murphy’s agent I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t champion.
Quite simply, although de Sousa’s work ethic means he will always be hard to dethrone, the momentum is with Murphy and he’s a worthy champion in the making as his numbers are backed up by Group 1 successes.
More than that, I actually believe it will be great for the sport if Murphy is its champion.
I’m slightly biased here, as I have long felt Murphy was a special talent and get on well with the lad, but there’s a dash of mystery and interest with Murphy. He’s not an obvious showman like Frankie Dettori, but he has ‘it’ whatever ‘it’ is!
Get Murphy to talk about a horse race and he does so in a way few others are able. It’s similar in some sense to the way Bryony Frost discusses jumps racing – the conversation draws you in, and makes you think of the sport in different ways. That sparks interest and is all encompassing.
At bigger prices Doyle will have his followers, but he can’t do the range of weights of de Sousa and Murphy which will always make it difficult for all he has the talent to be the title grabber.
Last season’s crack apprentice Jason Watson also had his price cut over the winter, but it will be hard for him to take the crown in his first season against the big guns.
As for today’s feature Unibet-sponsored Lincoln, shown live on ITV4, I’m all over the market leader Auxerre, who is up in the handicap but could still be absolutely chucked in off a BHA rating of 100.
What I love about this horse is that he could easily go a bit further than 1m, so a large field and strong gallop should be absolutely up his street.
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For a Godolphin horse a mark of 100 means the son of Iffraaj is only beginning to verge on Listed class, so Auxerre could easily be capable of much better. He’s up 7lb for a narrow success at Kempton in October, which is fare enough, and while his last two efforts were on artificial surfaces he’s already proven on turf at Newmarket and Haydock.
Trainer Charlie Appleby was awesome in 2018 with a Derby success via Masar and victory in the Melbourne Cup. A win from Auxerre would kick-start his 2019 season in the UK in the perfect fashion.
Of course today is also about racing in Dubai, where the World Cup meeting takes place with the big race at 4.40pm on Sky Sports Racing.
North America, who flopped when beaten fifty one lengths in last year’s renewal, is a solid favourite and tries to give Richard Mullen the biggest win of his career. If you get to see him beforehand then enjoy his looks – he’s a monster of a Flat horse.
I’ll be having a few quid each-way on Gunnevera, who will be at double digit odds for Antonio Sano and Emisael Jaramillo.
My hope was disappointing behind City of Light last time, but a big field and a strong gallop is just what Gunnevera needs, and he might get it here.
A staying on second in both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Woodward, Gunnevera has talent and will finish off better than most.