Oisin Murphy wins Lockinge on strong weekend for local trainers at Newbury Racecourse
Oisin Murphy sealed his first ever Lockinge Stakes win at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday.
He rode Lead Artist to victory in the meeting’s main event, despite the horse starting the day as an 18-1 outsider.
Lead Artist had been ridden exclusively by Kieran Shoemark in his last eight starts, but Murphy was handed the reins when the horses trainers, John and Thady Gosden, opted to remove the former as their number one jockey.
The race was led by Fallen Angel until the final two furlongs, before the race became a shootout between Lead Artist and Dancing Gemini, the pre-race favourite locally trained by Roger Teal.
The pair could meet again in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.
Newbury Racecourse enjoyed two days of action in the sunshine as the Lockinge meeting returned for 2025.
Friday kicked off with a locally named, if not locally trained winner, as Marsh Benham won the Starlight Charity Apprentice Handicap as a big 25-1 outsider.
The brilliantly named Burrito won the second, a pre-race favourite for the Gosdens.
It was then the turn of Andrew Balding, who sealed the first local winner with 6-1 Humidity, piloted by Oisin Murphy.
Murphy won the very next race, too, riding Montpellier to victory in the Trade Nation Novice Stakes.
Raafedd did well to win the 16:05, before Meblesh took a win for Richard Hannon in sixth.
Zarakerjack was a 9-1 winner in the penultimate race on Friday, before Amancio showed all the grace of his legendary Real Madrid namesake to win the final race of the day.
A local victory kicked off Saturday, as Murphy rode Balding’s Eydon to a win.
Symbol Of Honour was a winner for Charlie Appleby in the second, before Roger Varian’s favourite Saddadd won the third.
The Lockinge itself followed, with Murphy edging out the lead local contender to win on Lead Artist.
Hollie Doyle rode Qilin Queen to victory in the next race for local trainer Ed Walker, before Hannon’s Aramram won from strong odds of 9-4.
Roger Varian’s My Cloud was another favourite to make good on their odds, before the meeting wrapped up with Roger Teal’s Solar Army taking the win in the World Pool Handicap.
