Ballydoyle stable rider Johnny Murtagh explains his choice for the Epsom Derby
DiscreetCat
Moderator
from the Herald (Ireland):
Just four-days before the Epsom Derby and there was huge anticipation around Ballydoyle yesterday morning as their six Derby contenders were put through their final piece of serious work for Saturday's showpiece.
The Ballydoyle sextet features favourite Fame And Glory and the recently well supported Rip Van Winkle amongst four other prime candidates.
Coolmore's stable jockey, Johnny Murtagh, has been in this position so many times before. Approaching the greatest race on the flat racing calendar, on this side of the world at least, Murtagh has tasted the sweet success Epsom triumph brings, on no less than three occasions for three different trainers, and on Saturday he will be looking for a fourth, and a second for the masterful Aidan O'Brien.
This time around though, the pre-Derby build up has brought a challenge to the Meath native -- but an enviable one at that -- as he had the choice of the Ballydoyle six, and speaking to the Herald shortly after he had made that all-important decision, Murtagh stressed how difficult a choice it proved.
"The horses went through their paces this morning (Tuesday), and I was delighted with them all and we got them all scoped and checked out and I will ride Rip Van Winkle. Hopefully all goes well between now and Saturday," revealed an excited Murtagh.
"It is a very, very tough decision with just heads and necks between the horses in their trials. I always liked Rip Van Winkle. As a two-year-old, when he won at Leopardstown, I thought he was a little bit special and he ran very well in the Guineas at Newmarket this year.
"He finished fourth to Sea The Stars and that form is rock solid and we will be taking on Gan Amhras again, as well as Sea The Stars so, you know, it's a tough call."
In Murtagh's absence due to other Ballydoyle commitments, Seamie Heffernan was onboard Fame And Glory when he won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial last month and he will renew that partnership with Murtagh sticking with Rip Van Winkle.
Of the Derby favourite, Murtagh said: "Fame and Glory is a very nice, solid horse. He is a Group One winner at two, he's won his trials very well and in the Derrinstown he was most impressive and he is favourite for the Derby so is a very, very high-class horse.
"Masterofthehorses, in his recent work, has really come forward from his trial and Black Bear Island won the Dante and that has been the best trial in the last couple of years. Age Of Aquarius has come forward a lot from Lingfield, and Golden Sword, of course, won his trial at Chester, so we have six left in it and realistically -- and I don't say this lightly -- any one of the six could win it."
With a high-profile job and often numerous top-class horses to choose from for one race alone, it is understandable that Murtagh can sometimes find himself on the wrong horse. It happened to Kieren Fallon, Jamie Spencer and Mick Kinane before him and indeed Murtagh himself was a beneficiary for his second Derby success when partnering High Chaparral as Kinane opted for Hawk Wing.
Last year's Irish Derby unfolded with a similar fate as Murtagh, in his first year as stable jockey to Ballydoyle, rode Alessandra Volta while Seamie Heffernan enjoyed success on Frozen Fire and he insists if there is to be a repeat at Epsom on Saturday he will be just as happy once Ballydoyle are enjoying the plaudits.
"Listen, you'd love to be on the right one and you'd love to say you made the right choice but I think anywhere I have been I have been a team player. I have ridden most of the (Ballydoyle) horses in their work and as long as one of them wins I will be delighted," explained Murtagh.
"Don't get me wrong, it is a big race and I want to win it, but I think it's more important for Ballydoyle to win the race and if we do, I will be only delighted for whoever rides it. You know, sometimes your ego kind of gets in the way thinking, 'did I pick the right one?' and you want to be right but it is a very, very tough decision as we have a lot of nice three-year-olds and all I can do is get all the information that is available to me and make my choice and that's what I have done."
Last year, it was Johnny Murtagh who led his fellow Ballydoyle jockeys down to greet Seamie Heffernan at the Curragh after his win on Frozen Fire. It was a testament to the man. Although knowing he could have rode the winner, Murtagh is not the type to sit in the weighroom and sulk, waiting for his next ride, thinking that he could have been lapping it up instead of Heffernan. Johnny Murtagh appreciates what he has, and enjoys the camaraderie involved in his current post.
"You see it a lot with Ballydoyle. I am not the first that will pick the wrong one in a Classic and I am sure I won't be the last."
One thing Johnny Murtagh doesn't lack is confidence and there could be no shortage of that under his red locks and within his light frame. With 21 Group One winners in what was a fantasy year last season, that must engross enough self-belief to last him a life time, even in the tough profession in which he has thrived for so long.
That assurance of knowing he has won three English Derbys around Epsom will forever be worth a few pounds to him on Derby day.
Epsom is an undulating track that needs the jangling pre-Derby nerves to be left in the weighroom, needs a bit of knowledge on how to ride, needs a bit of balls at the right time, and certainly needs a horse with the same sort of attributes underneath you.
Johnny Murtagh, like no other that will sit in the weighroom beside him this week, like no other that will be either side of him in the starting stalls just short of 3.45pm on Saturday afternoon, has all of the above. Not even Michael Kinane, 11 years Murtagh's senior has enjoyed as much success around Epsom on their biggest day of the year.
"I have won the Derby three times, I have been lucky in the race and I have ridden some good horses in the race. It's the one race that has all the history, it's a unique track and it's the one race every flat jockey would love to have on his CV."
Even Murtagh, however, admits more pressure this week than any other: "I suppose there is. It's a big race and it's only when it's over you say to yourself 'Jesus, I'll have to wait until next year to ride in that again' but it has been lucky for me and I am very much looking forward to Saturday. We seem to have a very strong bunch of three-year-olds and I just hope I have picked the right one."
Murtagh's roguish Navan twang is probably the first thing that hits you when he talks in what always seems an upbeat tone. It is something he will never loose and the 39-year-old is proud of his roots. And his roots are undoubtedly proud of a man who is now officially Horse Racing Ireland's Flat Racing Ambassador.
Regardless of what publicity Johnny Murtagh tries to create off the track though, one think is for sure, he will create so much more on it and time after time answer any critic that might try to bear a grudge. A treble at Naas on Monday began a good week for a man whose personality has probably led him to some unfair criticism.
Chester's three-day meeting saw Murtagh take all the plaudits for an inspirational front-running ride on Perfect Truth, before the daggers were drawn after he went down to stable companion Golden Sword on favourite Masterofthehorse in their Derby Trial.
The interviewing of Murtagh before winning rider Colm O'Donoghue following the Chester Vase created a bit of a stir.
"At Chester I rode Perfect Truth the day before the Chester Vase and I did exactly what Colm did on Golden Sword and they were all saying how great a ride it was and I think Colm on the next day was the one who deserved the credit.
"All our horses are trained to win, Aidan O'Brien thinks he can win with every horse he sends out, be it two in a race or three in the race, he thinks they are all capable of winning and they are all treated like that and trained like that."
Irish Guineas weekend saw the proud father-of-five complete a rare Guineas double in the one year and it was the latest milestone in a continually glittering career.
"I know how lucky I am. I have a great job, I am working for and with some wonderful people, winning the two Irish Guineas in the one weekend is something that hasn't been done in a long time and I am really thrilled by the whole lot and the way everything is going.
"I rode five winners over Irish Guineas weekend, and like the calibre of horses I'm riding you are always going to be competitive on those big days and thankfully it fell into place that weekend."
Setting off shortly before 6am yesterday morning was easy according to Murtagh: "I always love my work and I always love riding out in the mornings so it was always easy for me, but I suppose the trip down to Ballydoyle is an hour and 10 minutes in the morning. I have a driver and it is very easy to get up and be on the road at that time of the morning because there are so many good horses there and, as I said, I know I am in a very lucky position."
The John Oxx-trained Sea The Stars is vying for favouritism now with Fame And Glory and even Rip Van Winkle and Oxx is a man who will forever be close to Murtagh's heart.
"John Oxx was very important in my career. I was there for 18 years and I loved every minute of it. He is a great trainer and when he gets those good horses they never miss, so Sea The Stars will be a very tough competitor this weekend. But listen, that's what it's all about and I am looking forward to it now against my old boss."
Given a pen and paper in January of last year, even Johnny Murtagh would not have been able to script how the 2008 season, and his first as stable jockey to Ballydoyle, transpired with 21 Group One wins his final total and accolade after accolade deservingly coming the way of him and Aidan O'Brien.
Not one to rest on his laurels, his sights are set on something similar this term: "The horses were in great form (last year), they were very healthy from day one, I rode 21 Group Ones and we are hoping to do the same, if not better, this year.
"All the horses have ran well (so far this season) and they all ran well in their trials and they seem to be going forward from one run to the next, so it's very exciting times. All the big races are starting now and we are hoping to be major players in all of them."
Just four-days before the Epsom Derby and there was huge anticipation around Ballydoyle yesterday morning as their six Derby contenders were put through their final piece of serious work for Saturday's showpiece.
The Ballydoyle sextet features favourite Fame And Glory and the recently well supported Rip Van Winkle amongst four other prime candidates.
Coolmore's stable jockey, Johnny Murtagh, has been in this position so many times before. Approaching the greatest race on the flat racing calendar, on this side of the world at least, Murtagh has tasted the sweet success Epsom triumph brings, on no less than three occasions for three different trainers, and on Saturday he will be looking for a fourth, and a second for the masterful Aidan O'Brien.
This time around though, the pre-Derby build up has brought a challenge to the Meath native -- but an enviable one at that -- as he had the choice of the Ballydoyle six, and speaking to the Herald shortly after he had made that all-important decision, Murtagh stressed how difficult a choice it proved.
"The horses went through their paces this morning (Tuesday), and I was delighted with them all and we got them all scoped and checked out and I will ride Rip Van Winkle. Hopefully all goes well between now and Saturday," revealed an excited Murtagh.
"It is a very, very tough decision with just heads and necks between the horses in their trials. I always liked Rip Van Winkle. As a two-year-old, when he won at Leopardstown, I thought he was a little bit special and he ran very well in the Guineas at Newmarket this year.
"He finished fourth to Sea The Stars and that form is rock solid and we will be taking on Gan Amhras again, as well as Sea The Stars so, you know, it's a tough call."
In Murtagh's absence due to other Ballydoyle commitments, Seamie Heffernan was onboard Fame And Glory when he won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial last month and he will renew that partnership with Murtagh sticking with Rip Van Winkle.
Of the Derby favourite, Murtagh said: "Fame and Glory is a very nice, solid horse. He is a Group One winner at two, he's won his trials very well and in the Derrinstown he was most impressive and he is favourite for the Derby so is a very, very high-class horse.
"Masterofthehorses, in his recent work, has really come forward from his trial and Black Bear Island won the Dante and that has been the best trial in the last couple of years. Age Of Aquarius has come forward a lot from Lingfield, and Golden Sword, of course, won his trial at Chester, so we have six left in it and realistically -- and I don't say this lightly -- any one of the six could win it."
With a high-profile job and often numerous top-class horses to choose from for one race alone, it is understandable that Murtagh can sometimes find himself on the wrong horse. It happened to Kieren Fallon, Jamie Spencer and Mick Kinane before him and indeed Murtagh himself was a beneficiary for his second Derby success when partnering High Chaparral as Kinane opted for Hawk Wing.
Last year's Irish Derby unfolded with a similar fate as Murtagh, in his first year as stable jockey to Ballydoyle, rode Alessandra Volta while Seamie Heffernan enjoyed success on Frozen Fire and he insists if there is to be a repeat at Epsom on Saturday he will be just as happy once Ballydoyle are enjoying the plaudits.
"Listen, you'd love to be on the right one and you'd love to say you made the right choice but I think anywhere I have been I have been a team player. I have ridden most of the (Ballydoyle) horses in their work and as long as one of them wins I will be delighted," explained Murtagh.
"Don't get me wrong, it is a big race and I want to win it, but I think it's more important for Ballydoyle to win the race and if we do, I will be only delighted for whoever rides it. You know, sometimes your ego kind of gets in the way thinking, 'did I pick the right one?' and you want to be right but it is a very, very tough decision as we have a lot of nice three-year-olds and all I can do is get all the information that is available to me and make my choice and that's what I have done."
Last year, it was Johnny Murtagh who led his fellow Ballydoyle jockeys down to greet Seamie Heffernan at the Curragh after his win on Frozen Fire. It was a testament to the man. Although knowing he could have rode the winner, Murtagh is not the type to sit in the weighroom and sulk, waiting for his next ride, thinking that he could have been lapping it up instead of Heffernan. Johnny Murtagh appreciates what he has, and enjoys the camaraderie involved in his current post.
"You see it a lot with Ballydoyle. I am not the first that will pick the wrong one in a Classic and I am sure I won't be the last."
One thing Johnny Murtagh doesn't lack is confidence and there could be no shortage of that under his red locks and within his light frame. With 21 Group One winners in what was a fantasy year last season, that must engross enough self-belief to last him a life time, even in the tough profession in which he has thrived for so long.
That assurance of knowing he has won three English Derbys around Epsom will forever be worth a few pounds to him on Derby day.
Epsom is an undulating track that needs the jangling pre-Derby nerves to be left in the weighroom, needs a bit of knowledge on how to ride, needs a bit of balls at the right time, and certainly needs a horse with the same sort of attributes underneath you.
Johnny Murtagh, like no other that will sit in the weighroom beside him this week, like no other that will be either side of him in the starting stalls just short of 3.45pm on Saturday afternoon, has all of the above. Not even Michael Kinane, 11 years Murtagh's senior has enjoyed as much success around Epsom on their biggest day of the year.
"I have won the Derby three times, I have been lucky in the race and I have ridden some good horses in the race. It's the one race that has all the history, it's a unique track and it's the one race every flat jockey would love to have on his CV."
Even Murtagh, however, admits more pressure this week than any other: "I suppose there is. It's a big race and it's only when it's over you say to yourself 'Jesus, I'll have to wait until next year to ride in that again' but it has been lucky for me and I am very much looking forward to Saturday. We seem to have a very strong bunch of three-year-olds and I just hope I have picked the right one."
Murtagh's roguish Navan twang is probably the first thing that hits you when he talks in what always seems an upbeat tone. It is something he will never loose and the 39-year-old is proud of his roots. And his roots are undoubtedly proud of a man who is now officially Horse Racing Ireland's Flat Racing Ambassador.
Regardless of what publicity Johnny Murtagh tries to create off the track though, one think is for sure, he will create so much more on it and time after time answer any critic that might try to bear a grudge. A treble at Naas on Monday began a good week for a man whose personality has probably led him to some unfair criticism.
Chester's three-day meeting saw Murtagh take all the plaudits for an inspirational front-running ride on Perfect Truth, before the daggers were drawn after he went down to stable companion Golden Sword on favourite Masterofthehorse in their Derby Trial.
The interviewing of Murtagh before winning rider Colm O'Donoghue following the Chester Vase created a bit of a stir.
"At Chester I rode Perfect Truth the day before the Chester Vase and I did exactly what Colm did on Golden Sword and they were all saying how great a ride it was and I think Colm on the next day was the one who deserved the credit.
"All our horses are trained to win, Aidan O'Brien thinks he can win with every horse he sends out, be it two in a race or three in the race, he thinks they are all capable of winning and they are all treated like that and trained like that."
Irish Guineas weekend saw the proud father-of-five complete a rare Guineas double in the one year and it was the latest milestone in a continually glittering career.
"I know how lucky I am. I have a great job, I am working for and with some wonderful people, winning the two Irish Guineas in the one weekend is something that hasn't been done in a long time and I am really thrilled by the whole lot and the way everything is going.
"I rode five winners over Irish Guineas weekend, and like the calibre of horses I'm riding you are always going to be competitive on those big days and thankfully it fell into place that weekend."
Setting off shortly before 6am yesterday morning was easy according to Murtagh: "I always love my work and I always love riding out in the mornings so it was always easy for me, but I suppose the trip down to Ballydoyle is an hour and 10 minutes in the morning. I have a driver and it is very easy to get up and be on the road at that time of the morning because there are so many good horses there and, as I said, I know I am in a very lucky position."
The John Oxx-trained Sea The Stars is vying for favouritism now with Fame And Glory and even Rip Van Winkle and Oxx is a man who will forever be close to Murtagh's heart.
"John Oxx was very important in my career. I was there for 18 years and I loved every minute of it. He is a great trainer and when he gets those good horses they never miss, so Sea The Stars will be a very tough competitor this weekend. But listen, that's what it's all about and I am looking forward to it now against my old boss."
Given a pen and paper in January of last year, even Johnny Murtagh would not have been able to script how the 2008 season, and his first as stable jockey to Ballydoyle, transpired with 21 Group One wins his final total and accolade after accolade deservingly coming the way of him and Aidan O'Brien.
Not one to rest on his laurels, his sights are set on something similar this term: "The horses were in great form (last year), they were very healthy from day one, I rode 21 Group Ones and we are hoping to do the same, if not better, this year.
"All the horses have ran well (so far this season) and they all ran well in their trials and they seem to be going forward from one run to the next, so it's very exciting times. All the big races are starting now and we are hoping to be major players in all of them."