Oisin Murphy recorded the 1000th win of his career in Britain on Tuesday evening when he guided the Michael Dods-trained Perfect Sign to success in the 6f novice stakes at Southwell.
Having begun his career at Kingsclere under the tutelage of trainer Andrew Balding, Murphy was crowned champion apprentice in 2014 and an indication of the high regard others held him in came in 2016 when Qatar Racing appointed him as first jockey.
In their colours he has secured a number of big-race wins including the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II takes on the ill-fated Roaring Lion.
A stellar season last year saw Murphy rewarded as champion jockey and this year he captured a first Classic when partnering Kameko to win the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas for Balding and Qatar Racing. He is currently bidding to defend his champion jockey crown and currently leads ten winners ahead of his closest rival William Buick.
Further Group 1 successes have followed this year on Dream Of Dreams in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and on Alcohol Free, trained by Balding for owner Jeff Smith, in the Cheveley Park Stakes.
Fittingly, Murphy’s 1000th career winner came in the silks of Qatar Racing and speaking to Sky Sports Racing he said: “I ride for great people and it’s really nice to ride my 1,000th winner in Britain in these colours for Qatar Racing and Sheikh Fahad.
“When you start out as an apprentice you hope you can get a licence and then ride a winner and so on. Hopefully I can ride 1,000 more in the future. I ride good horses all over the world and I’m very privileged to do that.
“To win my first Classic on Kameko was just incredible because as a child you watch all the big races on tv and that was my first one. We’ve been so lucky to find such good horses over the last few years. Roaring Lion was a great champion as was Kameko and it’s not easy to replace them.”