Royal Marine Gives Murphy 10th G1 in Prix Jean-Luc

Before Arc day last year, Oisin Murphy had never won a group 1. Fast-forward 12 months and the recently turned 23-year-old now has 10 of them tucked away, including one at grade 1 level in Canada, with Saaed Bin Suroor describing him as a champion jockey in waiting.

Murphy's eighth group 1 of the year came in the Godolphin blue, just like his first of 2018 on Benbatl in the Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1), as he nudged Royal Marine to a narrow victory Oct. 7 in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Sponsored by Manateq (G1) over Broome, who almost swept away his rivals from the front at ParisLongchamp.

Royal Marine's Doncaster maiden win had the clock-watchers purring as his time was :26 quicker than leading QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) contender Sangarius, who won on the same card. How right they were to be excited.

Bin Suroor, celebrating his first juvenile group 1 success since Thunder Snow in the Criterium International (G1) in 2016, said: "He's a big, strong horse who works well at home. He showed some class there and traveled well the whole way. We'll take him to Dubai now, and he could start off there next season. He could be anything."

Having had good things to say about Royal Marine, Bin Suroor was even more glowing when it came to talking about Murphy.

"Oisin is a brilliant jockey," he said. "He's a champion jockey for the future. He's always so relaxed and very nice on the horses. He shows his class."

Murphy was always in the perfect position on Royal Marine and took aim at the frontrunning Broome entering the final furlong. He didn't miss. 

"He's a very nice horse, and you have to remember he has had only three runs in his life," said Murphy. "He didn't do an awful lot in front. I'd be hopeful there's more to come. I think he's a miler."

Aidan O'Brien, successful with Happily last year, was just denied this time, but Broome went down fighting. 

The trainer reflected: "He's very genuine, and he wasn't finished when the line came, was he? He was still going strong. You would have to love his attitude. He'll start off in one of the Derby trials next year, and we'll see where that takes us."  

Hot favorite Anodor was three-quarters of a length behind Broome in third, and Freddy Head reckons he is not the finished article yet. 

"When the others accelerated, he had trouble following them, but he finished well," said the trainer. "I was pleased that he didn't fold and ran on well.

"I wouldn't look for excuses with the ground, and it was more a lack of maturity on his part. We'll wait for next year, and he's open to plenty of progress."