Johnny Murtagh quits as Ballydoyle stable jockey
After 24 hours of rumours it has been announced that Johnny Murtagh will no longer ride as the No.1 jockey at Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable.
A story had begun to emerge on Sunday that all was not right in the O’Brien yard, with one bookmaker reporting interest as to who would be the stable jockey for the start of next season. There had been talk within Irish racing of a rift forming between the trainer and jockey.
Although Murtagh rode all four of O’Brien’s runners at this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup meeting at Churchill Downs with the fifth place of Together in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, when he was asked if there were any problems in his relationship with O’Brien he deflected such inquiries with a short “no comment”.
He was more forthcoming now, if only through a prepared explanation. A statement issued by the jockey’s, Eddie Byrne, said: "Johnny Murtagh has spoken to Mr John Magnier, Mr Derrick Smith, Mr Michael Tabor and Mr Aidan O'Brien today and informed them that he will not be renewing his contract to ride as stable jockey to Coolmore/Ballydoyle next season, 2011.
"He would like to thank Mr Magnier, Mr Smith, Mr Tabor and Mr O'Brien for the wonderful and successful three years that we all enjoyed together and he wishes all of them, and their families, every success in the future.
"He would also like to thank Mr David Wachman, Mr Charles O'Brien and Mr Tommy Stack, who also train Coolmore horses, and to wish them every success next season."
Magnier and O’Brien will now turn their attention to finding a replacement for one of the hottest jobs in European racing but which has proven to be something of a revolving door for its incumbents in recent years.
Christy Roche began his association with O’Brien in 1993 and remained as stable jockey until he retired from saddle five years later. He was replaced by Michael Kinane whose tenure as first jockey to O’Brien lasted for five years brought no less than 58 Group or Grade One winners, but the arrangement ended in late abruptly in 2003.
Next to try was Jamie Spencer, but there was a sense that the role may have come just a little too soon in the rider’s career. He lasted just one season until he quit and was replaced by Kieren Fallon, who gave up a similar role with Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket to take up the coveted position.
It appeared to be the perfect union with the killer instinct in the saddle of Fallon allied to the perfectionist planner that is O’Brien. The relationship seemed to survive both the protracted police investigation and subsequent trial (which swiftly collapsed) into the jockey’s alleged connection with race-fixing and a six-month ban when Fallon failed a drugs test that was administered by the French racing authorities.
However, when the jockey failed for a second time, he was replaced by Murtagh. He had already won several high-profile races for Ballydoyle during the time when Fallon was not allowed to ride in Britain, under stipulation from the British Horse Racing Authority, because of the criminal investigation.
Murtgah was officially installed for the 2008 season and, overall, has ridden 46 Group One winners on O’Brien trained horses, the last of which came on Roderic O’Connor in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud eight days ago.
There have been several riders whose names have appeared in the frame as Murtagh’s replacement. One of them is Christophe Soumillon, who has ridden for O’Brien before, but would be a wild-card card choice given his sometimes less-than-diplomatic approach. Ryan Moore has also been touted but, given his position with Stoute and the turnover rate it seems unlikely that he would be interested. Indeed, there have been suggestions that one high-profile rider based in Newmarket was approached but declined the offer.
Assuming that O’Brien and Magnier, very much the quiet power within the structure at Ballydoyle, stick to the previous method they are likely to select an Irish jockey.
If so, the leading candidate is likely to be Pat Smullen, the four-times Irish champion who is currently leading the standings in the Irish jockeys’ table.
How long the new stable jockey will last is anyone’s bet.
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