Banned Oisin Murphy in title warning

Murphy is on the cusp of 100 winners for the campaign and has a healthy lead over nearest challengers William Buick and Tom Marquand. But the jockey, who marked his 25th birthday with a winner at York, expects the gap to have closed during an absence which rules him out of this week’s Pertemps St Leger Festival at Doncaster.

“I start a seven-day suspension from Monday – so when I get back I shall have to keep the pressure up on the chasing pack,” he said.

“I’ll just try and get racing out of my mind for a week. Although that’s the plan, I don’t know ... seven days is a long time!”

Murphy won Haydock’s Group One feature on The Tin Man in 2018, and was always keen on the chances of Dream Of Dreams having guided the Sir Michael Stoute-trained six-year-old to an impressive victory in the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last month.

He was spot on too as the 5-2 favourite duly delivered with a length-and-a-quarter call over Glen Shiel, with Kevin Ryan’s 2019 winner Hello Youmzain, victorious over Dream Of Dreams at Royal Ascot, back in fifth.

“I was excited about getting back on him, because he was so impressive at Newbury,” added Murphy.

“We edged over to the rail a bit and split into two groups. I was happy to follow Hollie (Doyle) on Glen Shiel. I was happy to stay where I was.

“He travelled well, and picked up slowly.

“He didn’t have that electric burst, but I think that was because there wasn’t a lot to race with. In a big field where he can come through, he’d be more electric.

“As a child you watch the big jockeys win the big races, so to ride Group One winners for Sir Michael Stoute is the stuff of dreams.”

Doyle may not quite be in position to launch a serious challenge to Murphy this season, but she excelled again on Glen Shiel in her first domestic Group One. “I’m so proud of him – I got a massive buzz out of that,” she said.

Both Dream Of Dreams and Glen Shiel could be taken on in the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot next month by Ed Walker’s Starman who maintained his unbeaten record with an impressive display in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Garrowby Stakes at York.

Tom Marquand’s mount overhauled long-term leader Dakota Gold, the 2019 winner, in the closing stages to secure Listed success on the Knavesmire.

Walker said of the winner: “He was awesome today – he’s a really exciting horse.”

Enable was reported to be none the worse the morning after what was almost certainly her British swansong at Kempton.

John Gosden’s brilliant mare won the Group Three September Stakes with ease under an emotional Frankie Dettori ahead of her bid for a historic third victory in next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Owner Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager, Teddy Grimthorpe, said: “These well-thought-out plans do have a propensity to go wrong, but thankfully everything seemed to go smoothly and she’s come out of the race well.

“It was a nice race for her. She was pretty much out on her own, which is good, and it’s another piece of the jigsaw in place,” he added.

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James Mitchinson