Balding takes firm stance after Murphy nearly blows victory

Oisin Murphy, so close to being nabbed on the line in the final race at Chepstow on Tuesday night when in full control on Sir Pass I Am, nearly made a monumental mistake and will not be in a hurry to repeat his actions, the four-year-old's trainer Andrew Balding said on Wednesday.

Murphy, first jockey to Qatar Racing and champion apprentice in 2014, was ten lengths clear on the gelding when he eased down heavily as the line approached.

However, Murphy's calculations gave those who backed the 3-1 favourite palpitations as My Mo and Cold Fusion rattled home to dead-heat for second, just a neck behind the winner.

Murphy, who would have been looking at a 28-day ban had he lost the race, came under fire on social media for his ride, but Balding is hoping it is something the jockey, who missed the Guineas meeting through a ten-day careless riding suspension, can move on from.

The BHA will also communicate with the PJA in the coming weeks to remind its members of their responsibilities to ride out right to the line.

"He nearly made a monumental mistake, but in fairness to him it was just about raceable in terms of the light, which has not made his job any easier," Kingsclere trainer Balding said. "He just got away with it and I don't think he'd be doing it again in a hurry."

Paul Barton, the BHA head of stewarding, added: "The stewards have the ability to brief riders as to their conduct on a variety of matters. Providing the horse has run on its merits and the rider has taken all reasonable and permissible measures to obtain the best possible placing, no breach of the rules of racing has been committed. We will communicate with riders via the PJA in the coming weeks."

Many questioned on social media what view the handicapper would take with Sir Pass I Am seemingly on course for an emphatic victory, rather than the neck verdict and the Racing Post analysis noted the "horse was soon well clear again on the gallop out and there was obviously loads left in the tank".

Connections will find out on Tuesday morning the view of the BHA's assessors, who have the power to make a judgement about what the winning horse had in hand and can make an assessment based on that, rather than the bare margin of victory.

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