Cazoo Derby: Johnny Murtagh on his three winners
Our columnist reflects on his three victories in the Cazoo Derby and the horses that carried him to victory in Flat racing's Holy Grail.
2000 SINNDAR
It was always great to ride in the Derby and I had a few goes before Sinndar came along. He was trained by John Oxx and owned by the Aga Khan. I rode him work every Friday and rode him out regularly at home so knew the horse really well.
After winning the Derrinstown Trial we knew we had a good chance at Epsom but walking the track that morning the excitement really started to build up.
In all fairness in the race itself we had the perfect position, he cruised down the hill and I knew from a furlong-and-a-half down we were going to win. He was just getting to Sakhee and the one thing we knew was he’d get the trip well. He powered clear so to win my first Derby at Epsom was very, very special. It takes a fair horse to win it and on that day he was well, well above average.
Ireland hadn’t won the Derby for 19 years, we were in a barren spell, and it made it extra special to come home in front.
Sinndar was a great horse and John always had those horses ready on the big days. He said the Derby is the Holy Grail, and it still is. It was a first winner of the race for both of us and a very special day.
2002 HIGH CHAPARRAL
I rode in the Oaks the day before and stayed over so when I woke up the next morning and it was absolutely hammering it down with rain, I was a happy man. I thought I had a great chance.
Hawk Wing was a special horse, but the rain turned it into more of a staying test and I knew my horse had the stamina.
In the race I hadn’t planned to be as far back as I was. I thought I’d be in front of Mick Kinane on Hawk Wing who’d be travelling in behind me but I didn’t jump that well or get a good position, so I just took the bull by the horns five furlongs out.
I went to the outside and swept round the field and said catch me if you can. Hawk Wing loomed up to me at the two-furlong marker but all fairness to High Chaparral he was very brave and tenacious and stuck it out really, really well.
I remember after pulling up Mick looking over and saying: ‘look how far it is back to the third’. I think it was 12 lengths. They were two very, very high-class horses but, on the day, staying power came out on top.
Galileo and High Chaparral gave Aidan O’Brien back-to-back wins in the race and started his incredible run of success at Epsom.
2005 MOTIVATOR
Kieren Fallon was riding him as a two-year-old but he came to Ireland to work for Aidan O’Brien the following season.
Motivator was due to run in the 2000 Guineas so I went over to ride work on him that spring in Newmarket and they were all geed up for the Guineas but I said maybe he’s a Dante – Derby horse.
He was a very high cruiser and John Warren, Harry Herbert and Michael Bell were all in the car and I said I don’t think Newmarket is his track and the decision was made a couple of days later to wait for York and they asked if I could ride him for the season. Thankfully I said yes.
He went and won the Dante nicely and I knew he would improve for that, and he went and won the Derby on the bridle.
He was travelling really well, I had the box seat, he was favourite on the day and cruised past the two-furlong marker. When I asked him to quicken, he picked up really well.
He beat Dubawi, who probably didn’t stay a mile-and-a-half, and a horse from France called Walk In The Park who came through for second. He was the easiest of my Derby winners and it would have taken a special horse to beat him that day. He was a great cruiser with a turn of foot and I can’t take much credit for that one!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WIN A DERBY?
To win a Derby you need a bit of everything, speed, stamina and balance. It’s a unique track, a hard one to ride, and the start is very important. You need to get a good position. How they travel down the hill is very important and down the straight, with the camber, that’s where you need a balanced horse. From there they have to stay well.
You need luck too. I remember riding Alamshar in 2003.
Pat Eddery rode The Great Gatsby for Aidan and went very slow up front. We were like sardines crammed in behind at the top of the hill and it was very congested.
I looked across and saw Kieren on Kris Kin was inside me so I switched out down the straight and he switched in. Right then I thought ‘that’s the end of him, we won’t see him again’.
But he got the dream passage and I was a fast-finishing third. Leaving Epsom that night I just had the feeling that was one that got away.
To win the Derby you need everything and usually the horse that wins the Derby is the best mile-and-a-half horse of the year. Like John Oxx says, it really is the Holy Grail. Look at the history, it's still still the best race in the world and the one every jockey and trainer wants to get on their CV.
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