Irish jockey Oisin Murphy, who is due to ride Japan's big hope Chrono Genesis in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, was taken to hospital with a suspected facial injury after an alarming incident in the paddock before the first race at Salisbury on Thursday.
UK-based Murphy, who is currently the British Champion Jockey, had just climbed aboard the unraced two-year-old colt Oasis Gift before a seven-furlong novice event when his mount started to buck and kick, taking off across the parade ring as he did so. Seconds later, Murphy was thrown from the saddle and collided with a plastic fence around the enclosure.
The champion jockey was treated for a facial injury at the scene before walking to a nearby ambulance and being taken to hospital for further treatment. Oasis Gift was caught shortly afterwards and was unharmed in the incident.
Stitching
Racing TV reported shortly afterwards that Murphy had an injury to his upper lip, which was expected to require stitching.
Chrono Genesis was among a field of 15 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when the final declarations for Sunday’s race were made on Thursday morning.
The five-year-old has been handed a difficult draw in stall 14, while Adayar, the Derby winner, also has a high draw in 11. His stable companion Hurricane Lane, however, is better-placed in stall two, one off the inside rail, while Tarnawa, the runner-up in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown earlier this month, is immediately outside him in three.
Adayar remains a narrow favourite for the Arc at a top price of 11-4, with Tarnawa on 3-1 and Hurricane Lane at 4-1. Snowfall, the runaway winner of the Oaks at Epsom in June, is a 6-1 chance with Chrono Genesis next on 12-1, and it is 25-1 bar the five.
– Guardian
