De Kock unimpressed with Murtagh
South African trainer Mike De Kock was distinctly unimpressed with Irish jockey Johnny Murtagh on Saturday when his ex-Coolmore owned Archipenko was boxed in by Murtagh on the Coolmore entrant Mount Nelson in the $US1m, Arlington Million in the USA.
While Murtagh was keeping Archipenko and Kevin Shea in against the rails the French-bred Spirit One won the race. The margin was 3/4L.
“That's the most ungentlemanly piece of riding I've seen in a long time,” said De Kock reported The Racing Post.
“It was as if he was looking for our horse all the way round,” he said.
Ironically Murtagh has enjoyed success in Dubai for De Kock.
“I'm very disappointed in Johnny,” added De Kock.
“In my opinion, he rode his horse to keep us in rather than to actually win the race. There was no need for Johnny to keep us in like that.”
“Johnny hindered me the whole way round and twice pushed me into the fence,” said Shea.
The four-year-old Spirit One, by Anabaa Blue out of the Sicyos mare Lavayssiere, and trained by Philippe Demercastel, came the Million off a runner-up performance in the Group III La Coupe June 14 at Longchamp. He won the Group III Prix Exbury earlier in the year on March 15 at Saint Cloud, this was his first race outside of France.
Bred in France Spirit One has raced 18 times for five wins and eight placings, with stakes of $US1,099,618.
The win qualified Spirit One for the Breeders' Cup Turf on October 25th at Santa Anita
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