By Peter Moore at Windsor Monday 13th May 2024
Three times champion jockey Oisin Murphy continued where he left off at Newcastle twenty four hours earlier, by bringing up a double after picking up a four timer at the North East track on Sunday.
The Irishman rode He’s Got Game to win the opener before steering Cuban Melody to victory in the fourth race on the card.
His opening ride of the evening was certainly eventful to say the least, after making a remarkable recovery after nearly being unseated coming out of the stalls on the three year old to land the mile handicap.
The 7-4 favourite trained by Hugo Palmer stumbled out of the stalls with his nose virtually touching the turf, almost knocking Murphy out of the saddle. However the jockey was able to cling on to the horses neck and maintain the partnership.
The pair were left at the rear of the field following the dramatic start, but despite the horse running very wide at the turn heading in to the straight the three times champion jockey managed to weave his way through the field to get up and beat Global% Asset by a neck.
Later on the in form jockey had a much easier ride on Cuban Melody, comfortably beating Mono River by a length and a quarter to give Andrew Balding his 34th winning three year old of the season.
The 234 mile trip from Leyburn to Windsor paid off for trainer Karl Burke who saddled Storm Call in the 5f maiden fillies stakes. The filly was green when finishing second at Southwell on debut two weeks ago, but managed to get her head in front to get the better of Pouting by a short head.
There was another close finish in the third race of the evening with Machete Beach making it two from two after backing up his debut win at Lingfield on the AW over a month ago, to just get his noise in front of the odds on shot Lennox.
The Windsor Sprint Series Qualifier, The Fitzdares Sprint Series Handicap over 6f went to the consistent Katey Kontent under Rossa Ryan for Clive Cox.
Having run well last season without winning, the four year old made her first visit to the winners enclosure in a titanic finish to the race, with Ryan just getting her nose in front from Laoisman to actually win by the narrowest of margins despite being off for seven months.