Champion jockey Oisin Murphy discusses his weekend rides, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while also reflecting on a successful few days at Newmarket.
I'll kick off this week's column with a quick look back on a fantastic couple of days at Newmarket where Kameko got back on track with victory in the Joel Stakes on Friday and Alcohol Free dug deep to win the Cheveley Park on Saturday.
I was over the moon with Kameko's performance, conceding a penalty to Group One performers and still being good enough to stamp his authority on the race and beat them well. He's a top-class horse, with a wonderful constitution, and I see his official rating has gone up another 2lb to 122. He's a fast horse - he won the fastest 2000 Guineas in history - and I'd like to think we'll stick to a mile with him now.
No decision has been made about next season but his owner, Sheikh Fahad, has been very enthusiastic about the prospect of keeping him in training as a four-year-old and given how much he loves his work, and his racing, you'd be hopeful he can thrive next year. He's a brilliant horse to be associated with.
