Racing: Irish star tipped likely to challenge wonder mare

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II presents Oisin Murphy with his trophy after Roaring Lion won The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Race run during British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse in England. Photo / AP

The Winx-Hugh Bowman relationship is one of the keys to the mare's remarkable success but there is another emerging horse-and-rider partnership in today's Cox Plate that is surely worthy of note.

The 23-year-old Irish jockey Oisin Murphy is European racing's new big thing with nine Group 1 wins this year spread across five countries in esteemed races such as the Juddmonte International at York aboard Roaring Lion.

He is taking his first Cox Plate ride aboard Benbatl for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin outfit but don't for a moment think he is giving away too much in terms of home-ground advantage and intimate knowledge of his mount.

Bowman, of course, has been aboard Winx for 26 of her current winning streak of 28 - a record which no rival rider comes near to matching - but Murphy is hardly a novice when it comes to the on-pace style of Benbatl - the horse many think is most likely to challenge Winx.

In all, Murphy has ridden Bentbatl in eight races for five wins, a second and two fifth placings.

His relationship with the horse began in the 2017 English Derby when they combined for fifth in a race where The Cliffsofmoher ran second, Cracksman ran third and eventual Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling finished 16th.

His wins on the horse were in the G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan in March and the Dallmayr Preis (2000m) in Germany in July.

He's also partnered Benbatl in a G2 win in the Al Rashidiya (1800m) at Meydan in January as well as wins in G3 races the Hampton Court (2000m) at Ascot in June, 2017 and the Singspiel Stakes (1800m) at Meydan in January.

Murphy has ridden several times at The Valley back when he was a teenager. He rode for several months at Flemington for trainer Danny O'Brien in late 2013 and early 2014, with O'Brien happy to declare at the time the then 18-year-old was bound for stardom in Europe.

Yesterday, Murphy was getting reacquainted with Melbourne after flying in from London early in the morning.

He told RSN927's Racing Pulse that riding in a Cox Plate was "beyond my wildest dreams".

He said Winx stood out from the pack but that Benbatl deserved his shot. "Obviously, I've got utmost respect for Winx. She's a world champion," he said.

"Realistically, on ratings and everything, she's a standout and she's well clear, but Benbatl comes into the race in good form.

"My last two times I've ridden him, he's won, so I get on very well with the horse and it's an opportunity I am going to savour."

Murphy also has a fair knowledge of the track where he will ride Red Verdon in the Melbourne Cup early next month as he's already been over the majority of the 3200-metre trip.

When based at Flemington in early 2014, Murphy partnered Let's Elope's son Outback Joe to win the 2800-metre Listed Bagot Handicap for trainer Nigel Blackiston.