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| Staff Writer |
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Jockey Oisin Murphy has chosen to ride Middle Earth over Sunway in Saturday's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes at Ascot.
Murphy recently rode both horses: Middle Earth finished third in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, while Sunway came second to Los Angeles in the Irish Derby.
Middle Earth is owned by Qatar Racing, Murphy's main employer. David Redvers, racing manager for Qatar Racing, explained the decision on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: "Oisin and I discussed his options. He felt there wasn't a significant difference between the horses. Given that QIPCO sponsors the race and Middle Earth runs in Qatar Racing colors, it made sense for him to ride Middle Earth."
“He and I also feel the race didn’t work out particularly for him at Ascot last time, he didn’t break quickly enough really and got caught behind when they slowed up coming round the bend and then everything was quickening at the same time.
“Whereas in all likelihood there will be a fierce pace in the King George and we’ll get to see the real Middle Earth. There’s not a lot in it but at the end of the day the colours, the fact Middle Earth is a homebred and it’s a race we sponsor is obviously playing high on his mind."
Redvers insists the jockey would have been free to ride Sunway had he wished to.
“Sheikh Fahad is a huge friend and fan of Oisin. He wants him to win the championship, he wants him to thrive and fly and if Oisin had said I really, really would prefer to ride Sunway, I’m sure Sheikh Fahad would have been quite happy for it to have happened.”