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Johnny Murtagh/Aga Khan

From this morning's Irish Independent:


Just two months after steering the Aga Khan's Valyra to the first Group One victory of their 20-month partnership at Chantilly, reigning champion Flat jockey Johnny Murtagh has been sacked as the owner's first-choice rider in Ireland.
The news comes as a cruel blow to Murtagh at a time when he is laid up with a facial injury that he sustained in a fall at the Curragh three weeks ago, effectively forcing him to prematurely relinquish his rider's crown to teenage riding sensation Joseph O'Brien.
Less than two years ago, Aidan O'Brien's increasing tendency to book his son ahead of Murtagh was widely believed to have prompted the 42-year-old, five-time champion to walk away from the No 1 position at Ballydoyle, and the loss of the Aga Khan's 40-strong Irish string now terminates any small hope that he might have had of reeling in a deficit that stands at 20.
Neither Murtagh nor the Aga Khan's Irish manager Pat Downes were willing to elaborate on the reason for the split yesterday, other than Downes citing "differences between the parties".
However, it is thought that Murtagh's close ties with Tommy Carmody's burgeoning yard on the Curragh -- which the jockey owns -- is the root of the shock division.
- Richard Forristal
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I see Powers have priced a book on it

11/10 Shane Foley
7/2 Ben Curtis
6/1 Declan McDonogh
8/1 Niall McCulluagh
10/1 Colm O'Donoghue
10/1 Chris Hayes
 
As a religious leader the Aga has a distinct code of honesty and honour. He does all in his power to distance himself and his organisation from controversy of any kind.
His dismissal of Luca Cumani after the stable failed drug tests; his dismissal of C Sumillion after his comments about A Fabre, his fight to reverse the Lashkari Breeders Cup disq and Vayrann Champion Stks disq and his appeals in Aliysa disq historically.
He selects his racing personnel carefully. His trainers and jockeys by and large are not controversial, let the horses do the talking and their records are consistent over time.
Any replacement jockey in Ireland must fill these criteria.
How Paddy Power factored this in their prices I am not sure:)
 
I don't think any of the first four in the betting will get the job. O'Donoghue has the credentials though.
 
Declan McDonogh has been seen to strike a horse in public but he fits the bill otherwise. Has any other firm priced it up?
 
edgt said:
As a religious leader the Aga has a distinct code of honesty and honour. He does all in his power to distance himself and his organisation from controversy of any kind.
His dismissal of Luca Cumani after the stable failed drug tests; his dismissal of C Sumillion after his comments about A Fabre, his fight to reverse the Lashkari Breeders Cup disq and Vayrann Champion Stks disq and his appeals in Aliysa disq historically.
He selects his racing personnel carefully. His trainers and jockeys by and large are not controversial, let the horses do the talking and their records are consistent over time.
Any replacement jockey in Ireland must fill these criteria.
How Paddy Power factored this in their prices I am not sure:)
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Why does he no longer have horses with the Aga Khan and what were his reasons for dropping out of UK racing having had horses with various trainers including Sir Michael Stoute over the years?
 
Aliysa was disqualified in 1989 Oaks for having a trace of something in her system. All attempts by the Aga to overturn same failed so he removed all his horses from UK as he could not " get justice". Enter J M Oxx as a new trainer 1990. He relented and sent horses to Luca and Ml Stoute mid 1990s. Luca had 2 or more cases of anabolic steroid traces found in horses; the first may have been an Aga horse, the second definitely was not. Aga removed his horses from Luca,not to return. I am not sure of the Stoute situation at present, Kalanisi in 2000 was a star performer for them. He did not, per say, have any issues with his UK trainers other than the Cumani misfortune.
In the last few years he expanded his Irish trainers to include ML Halford.
 
The 'Cumani misfortune' love it :D
Halford got the Aga through Murtagh and has not delivered, of course Oxx has the pick of the yearlings.Halford may be collateral damage in this
 
Irish Field today said 17 Tinkler horses in the Murtagh yard with a strong indication that more are on the way next season. This should improve competition on the Irish flat racing scene which can only be good.
 
From the Irish Times a short while ago:

Racing: Johnny Murtagh will continue to ride for trainer John Oxx for the remainder of the season despite the jockey’s split with leading owner and breeder the Aga Khan.
Murtagh’s contract to ride the Aga Khan’s Irish-based horses was terminated last week, with the owner’s stud farm manager Pat Downes citing “differences between the parties”.

The 42-year-old can no longer ride Oxx’s Aga Khan-owned string, but the Currabeg handler said he will still use the rider for his other horses. Murtagh is currently sidelined after a fall at the Curragh last month, but is set to partner the Oxx-trained Born To Sea in Saturday’s Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

“All being well, he’ll be riding Born To Sea on Saturday and he will ride our horses for other owners for the remainder of the year, where appropriate,” said Oxx. “He was not retained by anybody other than the Aga Khan, so he is effectively a freelance now.

“He can choose what he wants to ride, but hopefully he’ll be on a good few of ours for the rest of this season. He’s been riding work and I think he’s due to see the doctor Tuesday or Wednesday so he can get clearance to ride again. I think he’d quite like to ride on Wednesday so he is nice and sharp for the weekend.”
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I imagine the Aga thought that being actively involved with a competitor training operation as distinct from riding for them when not required by the Aga amounted to a conflict of interest .
 
Murtaghs reaction when Hartani won the Leger trial didn't go down too well with the Aga's representative.
 
Well they seem to be using enough jocks at the moment, Smullen, McDonagh, Foley, O'Donoghue, Curtis, McCullagh etc
 
Murtagh was giving high fives in the winners enclosure while the Aga's representative was stony faced a few yards away.
 

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