MICHAEL MURPHY: ALL SET FOR HIS FIRST GROUP 1 RIDE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, May 16, 2019

Only three Queensland based jockeys have rides in the 2019 edition of the Group 1 Doomben Cup on Saturday.

Local champion Jeff Lloyd, who has saluted in more than ninety Group 1 events all around the world, rides for the mighty Chris Waller stable as does Mark Du Plessis, another rider with international experience, who also has multiple Group 1 wins to his name.

For the ‘Guv’ and Du Plessis it will just be another day at the office riding at the highest level … but for the up-and-coming, young apprentice Michael Murphy it will be a whole new experience when he takes to the track aboard the Steve Tregea trained Prioritise … the first Group 1 ride in his career.

“Steve and I have had a good partnership together,” said Murphy. “We’ve had some success and there was always going to be a possibility of me getting the Group 1 ride but, until it was locked in, I couldn’t be certain.

“Prioritise has taken me around to a few places. I rode him when he went down to Sydney for two starts in August and then at Gosford. I’ve ridden him in some Quality races and Listed races.

“I just seem to get along pretty well with the horse and I know how to manage his pattern of racing.

“I was over the moon when Steve confirmed I had the ride.

“Steve had given me a call earlier in the week and he asked me for my thoughts. I said the horse is stepping up pretty quickly but he is fit and he has won at Doomben over the 2000 so we are giving it a go.

“I have ridden against the top riders before but it will be a whole new learning experience doing that in a Group 1 race. The tension. The pressure. It will be a very good for me experience-wise.

“Having said that I will just do my best to take it as another normal race and try to keep the emotions down until it is all over.”

*HRO wishes Michael Murphy all of the best in this new and exciting step in his career.

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