Champion jockey Oisin Murphy chinned by filly he bred - but it's not put him off

Being beaten a neck in a race is invariably deflating, but there was most definitely a silver lining to that cloud for Oisin Murphy at Kempton.

That's because the winner of the contest in question on Wednesday night just happens to have been bred by the rider, who tried his best to get the better of Summertime Romance on the Andrew Balding-trained favourite Spring Glow but was unable to reel in the three-year-old.

Middleham Park Racing's Declaration Of War filly was, notably, a first winner for the champion jockey as a breeder, a venture that Murphy suggested on Thursday was just an enjoyable sideline while he focuses on the important business of retaining his title.

8.00 Kempton: full result and race replay

"As I get older I'll get more into it, but breeding is just a hobby for the moment," he said.

The 1m4f fillies' handicap at Kempton was the third time in Summertime Romance's four outings that Murphy had ridden against the filly he bred, who is trained by Marco Botti, and he has yet to finish in front of her.

Summertime Romance's dam Montjess, a Montjeu half-sister to Irish Oaks and Prix de l'Opera winner Covert Love, was sourced by Mark McStay for $40,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November Mare and Foal Sale before foaling her first winner closer to home in Hungerford.

Murphy explained: "Mark McStay bought her dam in America and she was foaled at Becky Marsh's Trinity Park Stud in Hungerford.

"It was nice as my father and I went over to see the mare and foal – it was the first mating we did, so I was pleased to see that filly get her head in front."

While Murphy's bloodstock interests in Britain are limited for now due to riding commitments, he also has an interest in American mare Kenda, a dual-winning seven-year-old daughter of Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister and a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Cherokee Queen.

He continued: "There's another mare in partnership in America called Kenda and she's had a colt foal this year and is in foal to Gun Runner. She lives at Hunter Valley Farm with Fergus Galvin and Adrian Regan."

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The future looks bright for Kenda, whose first foal, a colt by the red-hot first-season sire Gun Runner, sold for $235,000 to Cavalier Bloodstock at Fasig-Tipton as a foal and then made $180,000 as a yearling to Sage Hall Partners at Keeneland.

For Murphy, who purchased the hugely talented Dragon Symbol for an undisclosed sum from leading breeze-up consignor and former jump jockey Norman Williamson, before selling him on, it is a similar tale, with his title defence going well and his interest in bloodstock a potential source for a future career beyond the saddle.

In the meantime, the 25-year-old can dip his toe in the waters amid his hugely successful riding career.

He added: "It's hard to concentrate on anything other than riding at the moment, but if the right horses came along then of course I'd be interested [in the breeding side of the game]."

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