Friday’s best bets, by Chris Cook
I’m sad to report the loss of Stan Murphy, a jump jockey of the 60s and 70s, who died on Wednesday in a Waterford hospital after surgery for cancer. His major wins included the Mackeson on 1973 on Skymas and the Thyestes five years earlier aboard Great Lark.
I spoke to Stan last year, to ask for his memories of riding in Foinavon’s Grand National half a century earlier. Talking to old-time jockeys about famous races is just about the most purely enjoyable gig you can get in my line of work and men like Stan are the reason why.
There was only wry humour and enthusiasm in his voice as he explained why he felt he would have won that race, if only the loose Popham Down hadn’t brought the field to a standstill at the one after Becher’s. It would have been easy and entirely understandable to be bitter about the missed opportunity or the 1973 car crash in which he, a passenger, suffered career-ending injuries.
“I was never going better than I was then,” Stan told me of his ride on Leedsy. “I would have won.”
And the amazing context for that assertion is that he had been riding without stirrups for about a mile by then, one of his leathers having snapped at the water jump. Footage of the race clearly shows Stan, in hooped colours just behind the leaders, sitting easily in the saddle, his legs draped around the horse as Leedsy vaults over second Becher’s.
There’s no sign of panic or tension or desperately clinging on. He’s just a jockey in unison with his mount as they soar over a fearsome obstacle despite the broken tack. What a horseman.
Turning to today’s action, there’s 8-1 about Lydiate Lady (2.40), trying to sustain her excellent run at Musselburgh. Having joined Eric Alston for last season, she has won five of her last seven, including her reappearance run at Ripon a fortnight ago.
The ground today will be a good bit faster than it was then but she has seemed versatile as to going and I fancy her to give her running again.
Mosalim (3.40) is the nap, two races later, at about 7-4. Gelded over the winter, this lightly raced sort from the in-form William Haggas yard looks on a fair mark, in light of his novice success at Chelmsford last month. There should be plenty more to come from this half-brother to Aguerooo.
“Can they do it on a wet Friday at Chepstow?” is a fair question to ask about fancy-bred Flat racers and today King Lud is the one who must answer. He was a fair fourth in the Wood Ditton last month but his yard has since gone a bit quiet and the fifth horse has been beaten at odds-on.
In today’s novice race, King Lud comes up against the rather more experienced Coeur Blimey (2.30) from Sue Gardner’s yard, a horse who beat Ballyandy in a Listed bumper at Ascot all of three years ago. A decent hurdler since then, he could not cope with a Listed Flat race last month but this is a more straightforward opportunity and, at 15-8, I’ll take him to beat up the youngsters.
Lingfield 1.50 Chelwood Gate 2.20 Fitzrovia 2.50 Crossing The Line 3.20 Al Barg 3.50 Accomplice 4.20 Waneen 4.50 Storm Again
Chepstow 2.00 Astute Boy 2.30 Coeur Blimey 3.00 Pastamakesufaster 3.30 Narble Bar 4.00 Grandma Tilly 4.30 Desert Ace 5.00 Unblinking
Musselburgh 2.10 Ahlan Bil Emarati 2.40 Lydiate Lady (nb) 3.10 Kodicat 3.40 Mosalim (nap) 4.10 Four Kingdoms 4.40 Trading Point 5.15 Adventureman
Cheltenham 4.55 Monsieur Gibraltar 5.30 Velvet Cognac 6.05 Stoleaway 6.40 Barel Of Laughs 7.15 Frelia 7.50 Supreme Danehill 8.25 Bear’s Affair
Newcastle 5.10 Photographer 5.45 Karawaan 6.20 Highwayman 6.55 Brian Ryan 7.30 Von Blucher 8.05 Independence Day 8.40 Stewardess
Tips by Chris Cook.
