Tag Archive for: New Century

Murphy has high hopes for Breeders’ Cup duo

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It is a case of quality rather than quantity for Oisin Murphy as he heads to Del Mar looking to strike with New Century and Beautiful Love at the Breeders’ Cup.

The Irishman has enjoyed a fine 2024, riding over 200 winners worldwide and recently being crowned British champion jockey for the fourth time.

He now has the chance to add to his sole Breeders’ Cup success, which came aboard Japan’s Marche Lorraine in the Distaff in 2021, with two high-quality mounts.

Murphy’s first taste of the California turf will be aboard New Century for Andrew Balding and Qatar Racing, with the son of connections’ Classic hero Kameko already a winner at the highest level this term.

Arriving at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in top form after winning his last two, he was last seen landing the Grade One Summer Stakes in August but will have to overcome a wide draw in stall 11 if he is to secure a hat-trick.

Murphy said: “I’m really looking forward to New Century. He has been perfect since he arrived here and hopefully we can have a smooth few days leading up to the race.

“He’s drawn 11 which is a little bit high, but he’s the morning line favourite and hopefully he can run very well.”

Oisin Murphy will ride for Charlie Appleby at the Breeders' Cup
Oisin Murphy will ride for Charlie Appleby at the Breeders’ Cup (Mike Egerton for the Jockey Club/PA)

Murphy will be seen in the royal blue of Godolphin on Saturday when he links up with Charlie Appleby’s Beautiful Love in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The daughter of Siyouni has been part of the Moulton Paddock handler’s American satellite string this summer and that Stateside experience could prove a valuable asset.

“It’s great that Charlie Appleby has asked me to ride Beautiful Love and she obviously has plenty of experience in America now,” continued Murphy.

“She has some good form to her name and I’m looking forward to partnering her.”



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Century seeking to break New ground for Balding

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New Century is all set to bid for glory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar early next month.

Already a Grade One winner in Canada where he landed the Summer Stakes at Woodbine, the Kameko colt is aiming to break new ground for his trainer.

So far Andrew Balding has not sent out a winner at the Breeders’ Cup, but he feels New Century gives him a great chance.

“He’s got a great constitution and has taken everything in his stride. From travelling to Canada and winning, to preparing now for the Breeders’ Cup. He’s been flying at home since he arrived back from Canada,” said Balding.

While he may be impressing connections at home now, that has not always been the case.

“When he first came into training, I wasn’t wowed by him until his fifth or sixth piece of work. He’s a horse that learns and improves, and he’s turned into a fantastic competitor,” Balding said.

“It’s probably not the ideal track for him, but this is the Breeders’ Cup – a $1million Grade One – and we’re going for it. We’ll need a bit of luck with the draw, but he’s taken international travel in his stride.”

His jockey Oisin Murphy is also looking forward to it and aiming to add to his sole victory at the meeting on Marche Lorraine in 2021.

“New Century is compact and has a great mind,” said Murphy. “He’s not as big as his sire Kameko, but his mentality is spot on. He’s improving with every run this season. It’s great to have a leading chance and I hope he can give me my second Breeders’ Cup victory.”



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Del Mar mission calling for New Century

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Connections of New Century hope the smart two-year-old is the “one they’ll have to beat” in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf following his top-level success in Canada at the weekend.

Having seen off subsequent Champagne Stakes hero Luther on his penultimate start at Salisbury, Andrew Balding’s youngster journeyed to Woodbine to contest the Grade One Summer Stakes and got the better of a familiar rival in Charlie Appleby’s Al Qudra in the hands of Oisin Murphy.

New Century has not yet made it back to Britain after enduring travel problems, but having seen him provide his 2000 Guineas-winning sire Kameko with a first top-level success, owners Qatar Racing are already looking forward to another trans-Atlantic trip, this time to Del Mar in early November.

“It was an extraordinarily well thought out and executed plan by Andrew Balding’s team to go to Woodbine and a superb ride from Oisin, making him the only Group One-winning two-year-old by a first-season sire in Europe,” said Qatar Racing’s David Redvers.

“The exciting thing is it (Summer Stakes) was a win-and-you’re-in for Del Mar and the only slight issue is it’s been quite tricky getting him home. It wasn’t just a case of getting on a plane and coming back and he’s currently in Churchill Downs awaiting a flight back.

“He had to travel from Woodbine down to Kentucky, but he’s such a professional horse with such an outstanding temperament that he seems to be taking it in his stride.”

David Redvers has high hopes for New Century
David Redvers has high hopes for New Century (Mike Egerton/PA)

While an appearance in the Californian sunshine is very much the focus, Redvers also has his sights on a potential tilt at Classic honours next spring.

He added: “All of his form has looked absolutely rock-solid throughout the season. It’s always lovely when you see those that have finished behind him coming out and franking his form almost every step of the way.

“He’s been rated accordingly – I think he’s the highest-rated turf two-year-old in North America currently and he’s right at the top of the list here as well.

“He is a toughie and Andrew is very much talking about him being a very genuine Guineas prospect for next year, so he seems to be following in his father’s footsteps nicely.

“Del Mar is a different track to Woodbine obviously, but he’ll have had plenty of experience by the time he’s got there and as long as this travelling doesn’t knock him too much, we’d all have to be very hopeful that he’ll be the one they’ll have to beat.”



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