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Oisin Murphy’s Return From Ban Delayed

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has had his return from a three-month riding ban delayed as he has not completed the requisite BHA testing in time to take up his booked rides today (Friday) at Lingfeld.

Early on Friday morning, Murphy announced via two tweets that he had been made aware of an “administrative error” which prevented his immediate comeback from a suspension after he tested positive for metabolites of cocaine when riding at Chantilly in July 2020.

He said, “At 18.50 yesterday I was personally informed by the BHA due to an administrative error I will not be able to partner my rides at Lingfield today and Chelmsford on Saturday. I'm currently looking into this situation with the BHA and I plan to be back on the racetrack as soon as I possibly can. I apologise profusely to all the owners, trainers and supporters who I'm having to let down at such late notice. It's 128 days since my last ride in the UK.”

A subsequent statement released by the BHA outlined the requirement for jockeys returning from a suspension of this kind to undergo a course of testing and to be confirmed safe to ride by the BHA's chief medical advisor.

It read, “On 22 February Mr Murphy contacted the BHA about his intended return to race riding. The BHA liaised with him and the PJA from this point onwards, including in regards to his testing requirements.

“On 2 March Mr Murphy was reminded of the requirements and that it is his responsibility to complete the necessary tests before a return to riding. As of 12 March Mr Murphy is only part way through his reinstatement testing and he is therefore unable to ride at this point.”

Murphy was handed his suspension by France Galop in late November just weeks after being crowned champion jockey in Britain for the second time. The ban was considered lenient for such an offence, which ordinarily would warrant a suspension of at least six months, but the France Galop stewards accepted a hair test and testimony from Murphy that he had not taken cocaine himself but had been contaminated during an encounter with someone he subsequently discovered to be a user.

As is usual practice, the ban was reciprocated by the BHA and the jockey was stood down from riding from Dec. 11 last year. It is understood that Murphy has completed three of the four urine tests required before he can race ride again. He responded to the BHA statement with a further message on Twitter.

He said, “Please note I can't arrange testing personally. Only the BHA have the ability to do so. I've been available and completed all the tests thus far.”

Murphy is currently booked for three rides at Newcastle on Tuesday.

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Champion Boston Harbor Dies in Japan

American champion juvenile colt Boston Harbor (Capote-Harbor Springs, by Vice Regent) passed away from the infirmities of old age on Mar. 9, Japan Bloodhorse Breeders Association's Shigeki Yusa announced via Twitter on Thursday. The pensioned stallion was 27.

“Boston Harbor passed away from old age on March 9,” Yusa said in a tweet. “We are truly saddened to lose him and are grateful for all the support from his fans over the years.”

Bred by Overbrook Farm in Kentucky, the homebred was trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas. A Churchill Downs maiden winner at first asking in May of 1996, he added the GIII Bashford Manor S. a month later and ran second in muddy going in the GIII Sanford S. at Saratoga on July 26. Back on top in the Ellis Park Juvenile S. in September, the son of Harbor Springs won the GIII Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. at Turfway Park later that month. Wheeled back in Keeneland's GII Breeders' Futurity, Boston Harbor scored again, and ended his season with another victory-this time in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Woodbine en route to champion juvenile colt honours. Tried only once as a sophomore, he was fourth in the Santa Catalina S. in February and retired after injuring himself in work with a mark of 8-6-1-0 and $1,934,605 in earnings.

Originally a resident of Overbrook Farm, Boston Harbor moved to Japan to stand under the JBBA banner beginning in 2002. Overall, he sired 21 black-type winners, four at the group level including GI Santa Margarita Invitational S. heroine Healthy Addiction. His daughters have already bettered his sire record, with 35 stakes-winning progeny, 11 group winners and three at the highest level. Boston Harbor's Group 1 winners as a broodmare sire include GI Mother Goose S. heroine Off The Tracks (Curlin), GI Madison S. victress Shotgun Gulch (Thunder Gulch) and GI Vanity S. winner My Sweet Addiction (Tiznow).

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Dubai World Cup Behind Closed Doors

With the exception of limited horse connections, racing official, accredited media and sponsors, the Dubai World Cup card at Meydan on Mar. 27 will be staged without spectators. A release from the Dubai Racing Club on Thursday also reiterated that the Dubai World Cup will take place under strict health and safety measures “including full sanitisation, thermal screening of attendees and social distancing.”

“Dubai Racing Club will host the race meeting, without spectators and tickets will not be sold,” the release continued. “All races will be contested and regulated in a standard fashion and results will be recorded in an official capacity.”

The Dubai World Cup, which celebrates its 25th renewal in 2021, was an early victim of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, with the 2020 renewal cancelled altogether six days out.

The meeting's flagship race, the G1 Dubai World Cup, is this year again worth $12-million. The supporting features include the $5-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic over 2400 metres on the turf, set to feature Saudi Cup winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), and the $4-million G1 Dubai Turf over 1800 metres.

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Goffs February Sale Concludes Online As Lockdown Continues

The delayed Goffs February Sale concluded on Thursday with Part 2, a session of 84 short yearlings. The difficulties presented by offering young stock in an online format were highlighted by a large number of withdrawals from the original catalogue of 228, and a clearance rate of 42%.

The 35 horses to have found a buyer returned an average price of €10,311 and median of €8,000, and they added €360,900 to the overall tally for the sale which had to undergo both date and format changes.

“Selling weanlings in March without proper viewings was never going to be ideal but circumstances dictated that was the only option if we were to hold the sale,” said Goffs group chief executive Henry Beeby.

“When we were forced to further delay it by the latest Level 5 lockdown being extended we considered simply cancelling and directing the entries to the yearling sales in the autumn. However, several vendors made contact to implore us to give them an outlet so we staged today as a service to those who wished to present their weanlings to the market.”

The five bestsellers represented both codes at the opposite end of the distance spectrum. Ballinaroone Stud's colt by popular National Hunt sire Walk In The Park (Ire) (lot 506) led the way at €35,000. The son of the unraced Presenting (GB) mare Charming Present (Ire) is a half-brother to four multiple bumper and hurdle winners and was signed for in the name of Thursday Bloodstock.

Two colts from the first crop of Ascot Gold Cup winner Order Of St George (Ire) were also among the table-toppers, sold for €20,000 apiece to trainer Philip Kirby (lot 367) and to Peter Molony of Rathmore Stud (lot 471).

Among the most in-demand of the Flat-bred stock of the session were fillies by Australian sprinters Exceed And Excel (Aus) and Zoustar (Aus). The former, lot 374, was sold by Mark and Elaine Clarke's Wardstown Stud for €26,000 to BC Bloodstock and is a half-sister to the Chester listed winner Copper Knight (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}).

The filly from the first European crop of Tweenhills stallion Zoustar (lot 453) hails from a family which has been very much in the news in recent seasons. Her winning dam Tschierschen (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) is a half-sister to new Shadwell resident and G1 Sussex S. winner Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), whose half-sister Roodle (GB) (Xaar {GB}) produced the G1 Queen Anne S. winner Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) for owner/breeder Gaie Johnson Houghton. She was bought from Baroda Stud for €25,000 by Italian trainer Bruno Grizzetti, who also purchased lot 406, a colt by Cotai Glory (GB).

Beeby concluded, “The results are predictably mixed with a clearance rate that speaks volumes but there was some spirited bidding for those that stood out and we are sure that several will be shown to have been value when they are reoffered in a normal yearling sale later in the year. Once again, Goffs Online proved its worth with bids from around the world.

“We now turn our attention to our Timed Online Sale on March 24, after which our fervent hope is that the vaccination programmes in Ireland and the UK will allow a return to some normality as the year progresses and we look forward to welcoming horses and people back to Kildare Paddocks for the Land Rover Sale in June. Following that we are working towards a full programme of Goffs sales throughout the rest of the year on their scheduled dates and in their usual location, here in Kildare.”

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