Oisin Murphy returns to sunnier climes as he shoots for Grade 1 glory in Cape Town on Saturday

Oisin Murphy's winter abroad will include a new destination when the British champion jockey has his first rides at Kenilworth racecourse in South Africa on Saturday.

Murphy has had a jetsetting few months recently, landing the Indian 2,000 Guineas last month before contesting a bumper at Wincanton on Boxing Day, and he returns to South Africa for the second time this winter following his ride in Johannesburg's Summer Cup in November.

This time Murphy heads to Cape Town for the Grade 1 L'Ormarins King's Plate, one of the top races in the country, and takes on 12 rivals on the Justin Snaith-trained Royal Aussie.

The five-year-old is competing in the mile contest to earn a berth in the Breeders' Cup Mile and takes on Group 1 star Oriental Charm and promising three-year-old One Stripe for a winner's purse of £76,419.

Royal Aussie is the sixth of seven rides on the card for Murphy, and temperatures of -2C at Newmarket have made him appreciative of the 23C weather in Cape Town as he prepares for his inaugural ride at the oldest horseracing event in South Africa.

"It's beautiful down here," Murphy said on Friday afternoon. "I've never ridden at Kenilworth before, this will be the first time, and it's a very lovely track with quite a long straight.

"I've seven rides, including Royal Aussie in the big race, who's carrying 60kg. It's a pretty tough race, as any Grade 1 would be. 

"Six of my rides are for the Snaiths and I've got one ride on Silver Sanctuary for Mike de Kock."

Murphy will ride the four-year-old filly Silver Sanctuary in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, which serves as another win-and-you're-in contest for the Breeders' Cup, and takes on the impressive Double Grand Slam, a facile winner of the Summer Bowl stepping up to ten furlongs for the first time.

Clair De Lune is an improving filly who could open Murphy's account with a win in the first race, while in the Grade 2 Sceptre Stakes he rides stablemate Summer Lily, who alongside Silver Sanctuary runs in the silks of Drakenstein Stud.

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