Oisin Murphy Earns Second Champion Jockey Title

Last year’s champion jockey Oisin Murphy earned his second crown with 142 wins in 2020. William Buick closed to within nine wins, but could ultimately not make up the deficit at Newcastle on Friday. Murphy is currently at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Keeneland. The retained rider for Qatar Racing, Murphy booted home Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in June.

“I’m incredibly proud to have won a second champion jockey title and I’m extremely thankful for the team around me that have enabled me to do so–my agent, manager, driver, form-man, and family,” Murphy told Great British Racing. “It’s huge to win two jockeys’ championships in two years and beyond my wildest dreams. I tried my absolute best to do so and thank you to everyone who has helped along the way.

“I’m particularly proud of my strike rate for Andrew Balding. Sheikh Fahad allowed me to go wherever I wanted to and for that I must thank him and all the team at Qatar Racing too.”

Cieren Fallon won his second consecutive champion apprentice jockey title. It was the first time an apprentice earned back-to-back titles in 32 years. Fallon’s highlight was undoubtably Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) in the G1 July Cup. Fallon is the retained second jockey for Qatar Racing.

“It’s an amazing achievement for me, it is something I set out to do after the success of last year,” said Fallon. “I’ve been very lucky to have the people I have around me to help me achieve these goals–my jockey coach, nutritionist, a great boss in Sheikh Fahad, William and Maureen Haggas, my mum and dad.

“They are all the best at what they do, so I’m very lucky to be in the position. Winning the July Cup with Oxted is obviously the greatest highlight of my year and a memorable day.”

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Sea the Stars’ Sea Empress a Rising Star At Newcastle

Friday evening’s Get Your Ladbrokes Daily Odds Boost Maiden Fillies’ S. at Newcastle looked on paper a potential Classic pointer and the mile contest may have produced at least one exciting prospect for 2021 as Sea Empress (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status in the famed Sunderland Holding silks. Slowly away and keen initially before settling under cover towards the rear, the William Haggas-trained chestnut from the immediate family of Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) made a smooth forward move under Cieren Fallon to take command with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining. Chased by the highly-regarded 2-1 favourite Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) from there, the 13-2 shot was coaxed to the line for a comfortable length success, with 5 1/2 lengths back to Nushafreen (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in third. “She did that very well and picked up really nicely–as soon as she hit the front, she pricked her ears a little bit but hit the line very strong and I couldn’t pull her up. She gave me a really nice feel and is probably one of the nicest fillies I’ve sat on.”

Sea Empress’ dam Tayma (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is a Godolphin cast-off who was bought by the Tsuis for 170,000gns at the 2015 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. By that time, her high-class 2-year-old full-brother Buratino had won the G2 Coventry S. and placed in the G1 Middle Park S. and G1 Phoenix S. The listed-placed second dam Bergamask (Kingmambo) is a daughter of Adonesque (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), who captured the Blue Wind S. when it carried listed status and was third in the G3 Meld S. She is a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix S. and G1 National S. winner and leading sire Danehill Dancer (Ire). Tayma’s yearling is a full-sister to Sea Empress.

6th-Newcastle, £5,300, Mdn, 10-30, 2yo, f, 8f 5y (AWT), 1:38.91, st.
SEA EMPRESS (IRE), f, 2, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
     1st Dam: Tayma (Ire), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
     2nd Dam: Bergamask, by Kingmambo
     3rd Dam: Adonesque (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $4,433. O/B-Sunderland Holdings Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Cieren Fallon Appointed Second Jockey to Qatar Racing

2019 Champion Apprentice Cieren Fallon has accepted a position as second jockey for Qatar Racing on Wednesday morning. The 21-year-old’s new role is for two years and he joins reigning champion jockey Oisin Murphy, who has first call for Sheikh Fahad’s operation. Fallon rode out his claim last Friday. He also booted home his first Group 1 winner aboard Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket last month. Qatar Racing is expanding its jockey pool due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic which has caused the British Horseracing Authority to mandate that jockeys can only ride at one meeting per day.

“The one-meeting restriction, brought in by the BHA, means we need to expand our team; Sheikh Fahad and I are thrilled that Cieren is joining as second jockey–he will be a huge asset,” said David Redvers, Racing Manager of Qatar Racing. “Sheikh Fahad has been watching Cieren from the outset of his career and has been very impressed by his riding under the tutelage of William Haggas. He has an incredibly calm demeanour for his age, an intuitive riding style and is very level-headed.”

Added Fallon, who is the son of multiple champion jockey Kieren Fallon, “I feel hugely honoured to be joining the Qatar Racing team and am very thankful for those who have supported me to date. I am looking forward to what will hopefully be a very successful partnership.”

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The Weekly Wrap: Blue Is The Colour

A sea of blue dominated winner’s enclosures in Britain and France this week, largely owing to the successful season currently being enjoyed by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation and Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell team. The brothers occupy the top two slots in the owners’ table in Britain, and Godolphin is also currently the leading owner in France.

While Sheikh Mohammed has a significant number of horses in Chantilly with Andre Fabre, who oversaw the successful return of France’s champion 2-year-old of last year, Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), in the Listed Prix Kistena, it was the marauding team of visitors from Charlie Appleby’s stable which really took Deauville by storm on Sunday. At the top of the list was Pinatubo (Shamardal), making a return to winning ways in the G1 Prix Jean Prat. But, let’s face it, if a third-place finish in the 2000 Guineas and a second in the St James’s Palace S. are the only blots on an otherwise spotless copybook, he was hardly a horse coming back from the doldrums. Nonetheless, it is always satisfying to see the champion 2-year-old add to his tally at three and beyond, and it was pleasing to see the hugely likeable Pinatubo triumph in the same race used as a ‘recovery mission’ for the previous season’s champion juvenile Too Darn Hot (GB).

The two colts are sons, respectively, of the two stallions who have contributed enormously to Godolphin’s resurgence in recent years: Shamardal and Dubawi. The loss of the former in April will be rued for years to come, as just a quick glance at Sunday’s Deauville card shows. Along with Earthlight and Pinatubo, Shamardal is also the sire of the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis winner Royal Crusade (GB), and is the damsire of listed Prix Amandine winner Althiqa (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), who together formed the Appleby stakes treble along with Pinatubo. He was also the grandsire of the third horse home in the Jean Prat, the Marco Botti-trained Malotru (GB) (Casamento {Ire}), while in Germany, his 4-year-old daughter Half Light (Ire) struck in the G3 Sparkasse-Holstein Cup for Henri-Alex Pantall, who won last season’s Poule d’Essai des Pouliches with another Shamardal filly, Castle Lady (Ire).

Dubawi is no slacker himself and in the week following the triumph of his son Ghaiyyath (Ire) over Enable (GB) in the Eclipse, his stakes winners kept rolling in. It’s too much to hope that Master Of The Seas (Ire) could be another Pinatubo for Appleby so soon, but his G2 bet365 Superlative S. win after a tetchy start was pretty convincing and means he is now unbeaten in two races. Dubawi cannot take all the credit, however, as Master Of The Seas is out of Firth Of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill), a smart performer herself and notably runner up to Kingman’s dam Zenda (GB) (Zamindar) in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. She is also now the dam of five black-type performers among her seven winners.

Al Suhail (GB)—more of whom below—was another stakes winner for Appleby and Dubawi on the first day of racing on the July Course this season, while Too Darn Hot’s full-brother Darain (GB) made an impressive start to his racing career, winning a Newbury novice race by almost five lengths.

The decent start made by Dubawi’s first-crop son New Bay (GB) was noted in last week’s column but it is worth reiterating this following two more good winners—Jumby (GB) and Vafortino (Ire)—in Britain and Ireland on Saturday. From just ten runners to date, New Bay now has six winners.

It’s a strike-rate to crow about, as is the fact the last year’s champion freshman Night Of Thunder (Ire), also by Dubawi, has now sired eight black-type winners this season, including Thursday’s G2 Dante S. winner Thunderous (Ire), a welcome big-race success for Highclere Thoroughbred Racing.

Oxted Provides First For Many
Away from these powerhouse operations and stallions, the result of the G1 Darley July Cup gave a lift to those operating on a smaller scale. Owned in partnership by his breeders Stephen Piper, Tony Hirschfield and David Fish,

Oxted (GB) not only provided a first Group 1 winner for his fellow July Cup-winning father Mayson (GB) but also for his trainer Roger Teal and young jockey Cieren Fallon.

He was the first foal of his dam Charlotte Rosina (GB), a daughter of July Cup runner-up Choisir (Aus), who was also trained by Teal for the same syndicate under the Homecroft Wealth Racing banner. His full-brother Chipstead (GB)—named after the Surrey village which is home to his birthplace of Hirschfield’s Cheval Court Stud, not far from the village of Oxted—is now also in training in the stable. To complete the July Cup omens, Oxted inhabits the same box as the winner of the race in 1993, Hamas (Ire) (Danzig), who was trained by Peter Walwyn at Windsor House Stables in Lambourn where Teal took up residency at the start of this year.

The move has certainly done the trainer no harm, and his biggest win to date followed the success of Gussy Mac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Listed Dragon S. the previous weekend.

Star Appeal
Before Anapurna (GB) (Frankel {GB}) came along, Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) had come closest to being a homebred Oaks winner for Meon Valley Stud when she was beaten just a neck by Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2012, finishing half a length in front of third-placed The Fugue (GB) (Dansili {GB}). She has been quick to consolidate her position in the Meon Valley broodmare band, too.

Her first foal is the 92-rated dual winner Starcaster (GB) ((Dansili {GB}), who is now in training with Anthony Freedman in Australia. His year-younger brother Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {GB}) won last year’s G2 Dante S. and recently bounced back to form with a wide-margin win in the G3 La Coupe at Longchamp. In the last week, 3-year-old Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a 1.1 million gns yearling who was group-placed last season, became the mare’s second black-type winner when landing the listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket by six lengths.

All three of these sons could yet garner more stakes success and, while Shirocco Star has no current 2-year-old or yearling to represent her, she produced her first daughter, by Frankel, on Feb. 14.

Telecaster and Al Suhail are not the only male graduates to be flying the flag for the Hampshire nursery this year as Meon Valley Stud also bred the exciting staying prospect Dashing Willoughby (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), whose two runs in 2020 have resulted in victory in the listed Buckhounds S. and G3 Henry II S. to add to his win in the G2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last year.

While Shirocco Star is a fifth-generation descendant of Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}), the most celebrated of the Meon Valley foundation mares, Dashing Willoughby’s dam Miss Dashwood (GB) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) is the same number of generations removed from Reprocolor’s contemporary One In A Million (GB) (Rarity {GB}).

The reassuring longevity and success of a well-managed and relatively small British breeding operation continues.

Make Busy
Last week’s wrap touched on the start made by Ballylinch Stud’s Make Believe (GB) through his first-crop Classic winner Mishriff (GB) and it would be remiss not to acknowledge the continuing achievements of the filly who was a ‘breakthrough’ runner for the stallion. The Mark Johnston-trained Rose Of Kildare (Ire), bred by Wansdyke Farms Ltd at Oghill House Stud, was Make Believe’s first winner on May 20 last year. That was her third start; she won again nine days later and clinched another three races, including a pair of Group 3s, before her juvenile season was out. She headed for her winter break after running 12 times between Apr. 30 and Oct. 11 for five wins and three places.

Since racing resumed in June, Rose Of Kildare has run four times, finishing third in the G2 German 1000 Guineas and then third in the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. on ‘Derby day’. Just five days later she was back out to claim her first win of the year in the rescheduled G3 Tattersalls Musidora S.

The tough filly was partly responsible for a memorable day for Johnston and jockey Franny Norton, who also combined to win the G2 Dante S. with Thunderous (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).

Norton, who turns 50 this year and is arguably riding better then ever, joked in a recent interview that if his children are naughty he threatens them by saying he’s going to send them to Mark Johnston. Certainly, the horses in his stable tend to work hard and race often, and Rose Of Kildare is not the only one who has shown that she thrives on a busy campaign.

Make Believe’s sire Makfi (GB) started his career at Tweenhills Farm & Stud and completed two terms at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval before being exported to stand at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association’s Shizunai Stallion Station in 2017. He also appeared as grandsire of another stakes winner this week: The Queen’s G2 Tattersalls July S. winner Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) is out of his listed-placed daughter Make Fast (GB).

Hollie Go Brightly
Ben Curtis may be romping away with the British jockeys’ championship and is the only rider with more than 100 wins to his name at this stage, but heading the chasing pack is Hollie Doyle, whose season and profile goes from strength to strength.

After landing her first Royal Ascot victory and becoming only the third woman to ride a winner in the meeting’s history, Doyle secured her first group win on Anthony Oppenheimer’s Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) in the G2 Princess Of Wales’s S. at Newmarket last Thursday. The 4-year-old filly is a credit to her trainer Ed Vaughan, who had her in fine shape for her resumption after 301 days away from the racecourse. She also continued a fine season for Oppenheimer’s Hascombe & Valiant Studs, which has also been represented by G2 Ribblesdale S. winner and Oaks third Frankly Darling (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and has last year’s Irish Oaks and Prix Vermeille winner Starcatcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) waiting in the wings for her seasonal comeback.

Doyle’s Royal Ascot winner came aboard Scarlet Dragon (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) for Alan King, who was busy restocking the Flat section of his yard at last week’s Tattersalls Guineas Sale, where he bought four juveniles, including the 140,000gns top lot. From five runners at Royal Ascot, King saddled three winners and a second. That runner-up, Tritonic (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who was bought at last year’s Guineas Sale, will bid to improve on that good run in Thursday’s listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Glasgow S. at Hamilton with Doyle booked to ride.

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