'I just hope I don't embarrass myself!' - Oisin Murphy set to have first ride over hurdles at Wincanton

Oisin Murphy will be a surprise attraction on Thursday's Wincanton card after he was booked to ride over hurdles for the first time.

The three-time champion Flat jockey will partner the Cian Collins-trained Lets Do This in the 3m½f novice handicap hurdle (2.05), with the likes of Ryan Moore and William Buick traded for Jonjo O'Neill Jr and Tom Bellamy as the riders in opposition.

Murphy landed a double on the more familiar all-weather territory of Lingfield on Tuesday, and will be back at the Surrey circuit for six rides on Wednesday before heading to Wincanton for his first jumps outing.

The 28-year-old has family steeped in jump racing as his uncle is Jim Culloty, who won the Grand National and Irish Grand National as a rider and the Cheltenham Gold Cup as both a jockey and trainer.

Murphy took out a dual licence as long ago as February when he resumed his career after a 14-month-ban with a winner at Chelmsford. Although he did not reclaim his Flat jockeys' championship from Buick, it was a highly successful return campaign headlined by Classic success on Mawj and Group 1 victories on Shaquille, Porta Fortuna and Sunway.

Speaking to the Jockey Club, the Qatar Racing-retained rider said: "Jump racing has always been part of my life and it has always been a burning ambition of mine to ride in a jumps race. I took out a jumps licence earlier in the year as at one stage it looked like I might get a ride in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival. It would be an amazing feeling to get a winner over jumps and I'm not looking beyond Thursday at the moment – I just hope I don't embarrass myself!"

Wincanton: faces an 8am raceday inspection on ThursdayCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Of his West Country odyssey in which he will face eight opponents, he added: "The programme of Flat racing means it is unlikely I will be able to ride over hurdles often, but this opportunity arose as I know the trainer and owner of Lets Do This well. It's a fairly low-grade handicap hurdle so it seemed like a good place to start. I have been schooling horses to prepare, although I have not yet ridden Lets Do This."

Reacting to the news at the Tattersalls December Sales on Tuesday afternoon, Qatar Racing manager David Redvers said: "I've no doubt Oisin will suit jump racing as he's as good I've seen over a fence since Jim Crowley.

"During his time off he did a lot of showjumping and hunting and his courage, seat and poise were second to none. I doubt Sheikh Fahad [owner of Qatar Racing] would be that keen, but he must have his blessing and if it all goes wrong at least Oisin has from now to the start of the Flat season to recover."

The Wincanton fixture is subject to an 8am raceday inspection on Thursday with standing water reported on the course on Tuesday morning and further heavy rain forecast. The track is raceable with the omission of two obstacles and the going is soft, heavy in places.

Murphy's debut mount over hurdles has had five starts under rules in Ireland without winning, but the six-year-old has shown plenty in recent outings. He finished second at Sligo on his penultimate start in August, beaten just a short head, and was sent off favourite at Navan last time but could manage only sixth of 16 runners.

Flat jockeys to prosper over jumps include the legendary Lester Piggott, who won the 1954 Triumph Hurdle on Prince Charlemagne, while in more recent times the likes of Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer and Tom Queally have combined the two disciplines, usually in the Flat jockeys' hurdle that is staged at Lingfield every year.

Bookmakers Coral reacted to the news by making Murphy 10-1 to ride a winner at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

"With three-time Gold Cup winner Jim Culloty as an uncle, Oisin Murphy has the family heritage to ride winners over jumps, and his presence on the aptly-named Lets Do This at Wincanton on Thursday could be the first step on a journey to the famous Cheltenham winner's enclosure," said Coral's David Stevens.

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