IT’S like he never went away.
Oisin Murphy banished the ghosts of the last few years with a brilliant 1000 Guineas win on the gutsy Mawj.
The three-time champion jockey returned from his 14-month ban in mid-February and he has been a man on a mission in the early weeks of the Flat season.
He reached his lowest point in late 2021 when, shortly after a drunken scrap in a Newmarket pub, he was given a whopping suspension for failed alcohol breath tests and a serious Covid-19 breach.
Murphy, 27, had plenty of time to reflect on his actions and appears a reformed character these days.
He might be living the life of a saint off the track now, but his killer’s instinct in the saddle hasn’t gone anywhere.
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He didn’t just throw the kitchen sink at Mawj but the table, chairs and every utensil in sight, too.
She looked like a sitting duck when the hot 13-8 favourite Tahyira loomed up going strongly under Chris Hayes.
But the Irish raider could never quite get past the game Godolphin runner, who battled like a lion to the line to win by half a length at 9-1.
The pair of them opened up a massive seven-and-a-half length gap back to the third, Matilda Picotte, and the prospect of a rematch in the coming weeks is a tasty one.
But that's for another day.
Murphy said: “I would say relief is what I’m feeling at the moment and it may take a little while to sink in.
“I think you saw two top class fillies in that race – they pulled so far clear of the rest of the field and I had the perfect partner.
“She travelled and picked up and finished and she even walked back in like a champion, posing for all the photos.
“I was so lucky to win on Kameko here in the 2000 Guineas during Covid but unfortunately everyone was watching from home so there wasn’t the same buzz that I felt today.
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"To win another one is great and I’ll be trying to win as many as I can, particularly with Frankie saying he’s retiring – but he may not retire, we’ll have to wait and see!”
It wasn’t just the jockey who was catapulted back into the big time as it has been a long time between drinks for popular trainer Saeed bin Suroor.
The one-time champion trainer has been forced to look on helplessly as Sheikh Mohammed sent all of his big-money buys to Charlie Appleby.
He even publicly bemoaned the quality of horses that were being sent his way in 2018, which led to former Godolphin big cheese John Ferguson resigning from his post.
But Suroor can still get the job done if given the ammo and this ended his 14-year drought without a Classic success – and 10-year wait for a domestic Group 1.
He said: “I think this my 195th Group 1 winner around the world and it is a great boost for everyone in the stable.
“She is a tiny filly but she has a big heart and she was in great form coming into the race.
“Charlie (Appleby) and myself are a good team. He worked for me for a long time and he has become one of the best trainers now. We are good friends.
“We will keep the options open as I want to see how she comes back after the race, so we will talk to Sheikh Mohammed and make a decision in a week or two.
“It means a lot as it has been a long time since we won a Classic in England and Oisin gave her a great ride.”
The day got even better for the boys in blue when former Derby hero Adayar bolted up on his return in the Gordon Richards Stakes.
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He was crocked for the first half of last season, and Appleby says the five-year-old has unfinished business to attend to this summer.
He will have plenty of big days over the next few months – so too will Oisin and Mawj.
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