Champion jockey Oisin Muprhy landed the 1000th winner of his career on Tuesday evening at Southwell aboard Perfect Sign for his retained owners Qatar Racing.
The 25 year old achieved the landmark on the Michael Dods-trained juvenile with victory over Sealed Offer by two and three-quarter length, with the youngster clearing away decisively in the final stages.
Having become the champion jockey for the first time last season, the Irishman is just a few wins away from backing that up, currently fending off William Buick with not long left until the end of the official season.
The accomplished rider has ridden winners all over the globe, but the majority have come in the UK as he moved over to ride for Andrew balding in 2013 and just a year later he had become the champion apprentice.
In 2016 he landed his first major role within the sport being the retained rider for the successful ownership of Qatar Racing and this season it has seen him land his first Classic race of his career in the 2000 Guineas with Kameko.
1,000 UK winners for @oismurphy! pic.twitter.com/h6W1iAqoIn
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 27, 2020
(Credit ATR) Murphy said: “I ride for great people, and it’s really nice to get my 1,000th in these colours.
“The filly is in the sale on Thursday, so it’s a good moment.
“When you start out as an apprentice you hope to just get one winner – hopefully I can ride 1,000 more in the future.
“I ride good horses all over the world – I’m very privileged and I have to remember that.”
Kameko has given the rider some of the best days in his career to date and the three year old will have his final run of his career in the coming weeks when heading over to America for the Breeders Cup meeting and Murphy is very excited by his chances.
“We’ve been so lucky to find good horses over the years,” he added.
“Roaring Lion was a champion, as is Kameko, but to replace them isn’t easy – so we keep trying.
“To win my first Classic on Kameko was great – growing up as a child you watch all the Classics, and that was very special.
“Kameko heads to the Breeders’ Cup, and we took him to Kempton this morning and we went round left-handed so he could get used to that.”