Oisin Murphy is set to be crowned champion jockey for the fourth time at Ascot on Saturday and he hopes to cap a stellar season when climbing back aboard Tamfana in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Murphy will lift the trophy for the first time since 2021 prior to racing on Qipco British Champions Day and David Menuisier’s Sun Chariot scorer is the standout in a packed book of rides in Berkshire.
Tamfana is reported to have recovered well from her Newmarket exertions and only two weeks after her maiden Group One triumph, she is ready to take on the likes of Charyn in a bid to double her top-level tally.
Murphy said: “David Menuisier has told me he couldn’t be more happy with her wellbeing. It sounds like she has bounced out of her Sun Chariot victory and I’m really looking forward to partnering her.
“She is very easy to ride and she has a good draw besides Charyn, I’m very pleased about that and she relaxes wherever you want. She handles soft ground well.
“Obviously, Charyn has been the standout miler this season, he goes on all ground conditions and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He will be a tough nut to crack and there are a few others in there such as Metropolitan, the French horse, that warrant respect.”
Despite riding Tamfana in the majority of her appearances this season – including when winning Sandown’s Atalanta Stakes – Murphy was required to partner See The Fire for Andrew Balding when the daughter of Soldier Hollow galloped to Group One honours on the Rowley Mile.
Colin Keane was the fortunate pilot in Murphy’s absence, with the 29-year-old explaining these situations are commonplace and something riders have to accept.
He continued: “You are always going to have situations like that and the way to look at it is, Ryan Moore has won 200 Group Ones, and how many more would he have ridden if he had the option of riding whatever horse in each race.
“It’s one of those things and See The Fire is a proper Group One filly as well. Both fillies will stay in training next year as four-year-olds and hopefully we will be chatting much more about both of them.”
Murphy has also picked up the ride on live outsider King’s Gambit in the afternoon’s feature Qipco Champion Stakes.
Harry Charlton’s three-year-old has been knocking on the door in esteemed company since landing the London Gold Cup earlier in the summer, but Murphy believes he is facing two of the best in Economics and Calandagan.
“I rode him work about 10 days ago at Kempton and I thought he was fit and in super shape,” said Murphy.
“Obviously, Harry Charlton has only just begun training in his own name and this horse goes there with a fantastic outside chance.
“I think Calandagan and Economics are two standout horses and just going on ratings, there are few horses better than them on the planet. I thought what Economics did in Ireland was fantastic and Calandagan passed me at Royal Ascot like I was stood still.”
Murphy would be delighted should Queen Of The Pride triumph in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.
Having ridden as retained rider for Sheikh Fahad al Thani’s Qatar Racing for numerous years now, Murphy was aboard the filly’s sire Roaring Lion when he won on this card in 2018 and has always had plenty of belief in the John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old.
“I probably got the most enjoyment outside of my Group One victories this year when partnering her to her two successes at Haydock,” added Murphy.
“I thought she could win the Yorkshire Oaks and she just wasn’t healthy and right on the day. I’ve ridden her a few times since and I think she is primed and ready to go.
“She ran well on soft ground at Goodwood earlier in the year, when I thought she probably wasn’t fully fit, and I thought her win at Haydock in the Lancashire Oaks was exceptional.
“I don’t have a great draw on her, I’m drawn a little bit high, but her dam (Simple Verse) won on British Champions Day previously and Roaring Lion gave me a great victory in the QEII.”
